October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an opportune time to talk about cancer coding. But in long-term care (LTC), coding questions extend well beyond breast cancer. A resident may be admitted to the facility with provider-documented lung cancer that has spread to the liver, a history of colon cancer, a …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Accurate ICD-10-CM coding depends on provider documentation that clearly reflects the resident’s clinical condition. When documentation is incomplete or lacks specificity, clarification from the provider may be needed. In long-term care (LTC), diagnoses can affect code assignment as …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Accurate ICD-10-CM coding requires more than selecting the best available code. It also depends on whether the classification system provides a code that adequately represents the resident’s condition. When available codes are too broad, outdated, or clinically incomplete, …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. A stroke can change a resident’s life in an instant, but its effects often remain long after the treatment of the acute event. In the long-term care (LTC) setting, those residual deficits—difficulty swallowing, aphasia, impaired cognition, hemiplegia, weakness, …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment continues to grow, with more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries now receiving their coverage through an MA plan. But as enrollment has increased, so have concerns regarding coverage determinations in skilled nursing facilities …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. June’s Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month serves as a powerful reminder of the growing impact of cognitive disorders in long-term care (LTC) settings, where many residents live with complex dementia-related needs. Interdisciplinary teams care for residents whose diagnoses …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. In the complex world of Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment scheduling, discharge scenarios can often confuse even experienced interdisciplinary team (IDT) members. When a resident’s stay changes, due to either leaving the facility or a shift in payer …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. As summer approaches, many people begin thinking about health goals, wellness check-ins, and how to prepare for more outdoor activities in the warmer months. In the long-term care ICD-10 realm, preparation takes a different form: ensuring documentation and …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) frequently manage residents who temporarily leave the building or experience a break in Medicare Part A coverage. On the UB-04, these situations may look the same, often reflected as gaps in covered days or …
Listen to this article Your browser does not support the audio element. As winter gives way to spring, many are relieved to leave behind icy sidewalks and the inevitable steady number of fall-related injuries that come with them. Yet in long-term care, fractures do not simply disappear with the snow; …
