An ICD Code By Any Other Name Is Not The Same
June 29, 2021
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The basis of an ICD 10 diagnosis code is disease tracking. Categorizing a diagnosis by a numbered system used universally allows numbers of a particular diagnosis to be tracked. This makes a lot of sense in terms of studying prevalence and potential environmental factors that may be linked to a diagnosis. Now, our system of ICD 10 involves payment and this is where our world of healthcare has had to be more particular than ever regarding the proper diagnosis code. Now comes the reason getting it right is more important than ever.
What's
In An ICD 10 Code?
- You may think this is a silly question, but it's not. The majority of people, even clinicians see the code only as a reimbursement tool. It certainly is, but it is more. If you polled all of your professional clinical staff as to why a diagnosis code exists, how many of them would say if is just there for reimbursement? I bet it is more than you think. The reality is that your diagnosis code should be firmly a part of the care plan used by the staff. Often the specificity of the code can lead to different interventions by clinical staff if generalities are taken off the plate. For example, when your clinical staff sees heart failure, do they look for the symptoms normally associated with left-sided failure like dyspnea on exertion, crackles in the lungs, and fatigue? What about those with right-sided failure that would experience different symptoms such as weakness, ascites, and weight gain? Left-sided failure is more common and it is often automatically what is treated in the nursing care plan. Now, while we acknowledge that there will be some overlap in intervention regardless which side is affected, being able to assess and recognize the differences are extremely important for teaching the patient and recognizing an exacerbation early.
- Yes, now we will talk about the money. Having the wrong code can hurt you monetarily. It is critical to capture the code that best represents the level of specificity you are able to prove. ICD 10 coding has to be completed by certified coders who understand the intricacy of the code. They must be well-versed and keep themselves up-to-date on changes to coding rules. Nurses completing clinical care should not be responsible for coding as well. There is no way for the nurse to be a professional nurse and also be a GOOD full time clinical coder at the same time. Often we see those nurses who get certified either go full time into coding or they end up doing so much hands on care that it becomes too difficult to effectively and efficiently code. If nurses are not properly trained, then ICD 10 codes are just put in and nurses tend to pick non-specific codes. Nurses have enough to do in the homes today and the time on coding is not cost-effective.
- ICD 10 coding requires clinical accuracy. This is so important for compliance. You do not want variations of a diagnosis code used because it give more reimbursement. If you are audited, then you are at risk of money being pulled back as well as a full blown audit of your organization which could put your agency at real risk if there is a pattern in the practice of upcoding. The most important thing is to have the proper documentation and find the corroboration from the MD to support what you have listed on the 485.
Let Kenyon Homecare Consulting Help Be Your Coding Experts:
At Kenyon Homecare Consulting
, we have different levels of coding, documentation support, and education to help your agency maximize accuracy, reimbursement, and compliance. We can review Oasis, complete remote or in-person education, care plan review, and ICD 10 coding from our certified coding experts. Call us today at 206-721-5091 or contact us
online to see how we can help you reach your coding and documentation goals.
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Today, this article will look at little different than out typical articles. We all know the costs of losing employees and trying to hire and train new ones. It is exhausting and expensive. So, we think about our wages and benefit packages all the time. What can we do differently that makes people stay? We can’t change the job and we don’t want to keep people that don’t like the work itself. So, how do we acknowledge employees in a way that is valuable to them and that our businesses can afford to do? 5 Things To Consider About Employee Recognition At Your Christmas Party: 1. Years of Service: These can be based on milestone work anniversaries (5, 10, 15 yrs, etc.). If a person has been at your agency 11 years, you pull them up and acknowledge them in the group of employees who have been there at least 10 years up until the time they hit the 15 years landmark. This way longevity is recognized yearly. 2. Special Employee awards: Now, this may be difficult if your staff is very small, but acknowledge the employee who has gone the extra mile in the job they do. Tell the story. The employee needs to know when the employer is proud of the work that has been done. Consider a plaque or certificate. Don’t minimize the value of the employee having them to display. 3. Acknowledge all employees in the mix: Because we are a clinical industry, the administrative staff is often overlooked on day-to-day operations. Ultimately, don’t miss the chance to acknowledge the employee who was able to catch billing errors or collect on a large account. Staff doesn’t like to hear about money, but those types of collections keep Christmas bonuses in place! So, make sure the other staff knows the accomplishments of the finance department or the office manager that every caller loves to speak to. Don't ever forget the IT staff that is on call more than any clinical person in your agency! 4. Letters from the administration: Add a personal note to your staff either collectively or individually depending on the size of your agency. If you are larger, there are employees you don’t often see or get to talk to on a regular basis, so take the time so send a note with that Christmas bonus. 5. Consider the Christmas bonus: Listen, some of you can afford to do substantial monetary bonuses and that is fantastic. However, if you are not in that position, consider something in its place. Maybe small gas cards go with the letter from administration. With the cost of groceries, consider something that helps with the costs of daily living for employees. Big box gift cards in your area will always be used. You may do a lot of these things on a yearly basis to employees. All this being said, it doesn’t mean there aren’t reasons for acknowledgement throughout the year. However, your annual Christmas party is a good way to do it collectively. Between your annual party, write the individual cards to employees when you hear a patient interaction worthy of praise. Or, maybe you buy a gas card for the employee who has picked up extra shifts and always shows up on time. Ultimately, employees will feel valued. You will not regret the time, effort, and energy put into these efforts. Merry Christmas! If you want help with recruitment and retention strategies for your agency, please call Kenyon Homecare Consulting at 206-721-5091 or contact us online today.