Podiatry Case Study — Surgical Coding Series: WHP Coding Conundrums
As part of the new coding format for our newsletter, Welter Healthcare Partners is excited to offer you a new surgery coding series in which we want to help you! The 2nd week of every month we will highlight a complicated surgical case. This week we are highlighting a general surgery case. We want to hear from you! If you have a complicated surgery case and need help with coding, please upload the operative note by clicking on the link below. Remember to remove ALL patient protected health information and organization identifiers. Welter Healthcare Partners will not use any medical records submitted in which PHI is not removed and protected. Click Here To Submit Redacted Surgery Case Study. Click Here To Submit Redacted Surgery Case StudynnPreoperative Diagnosis:n
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- Right achilles rupture.
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nPostoperative Diagnosis:n
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- Right achilles rupture.
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nProcedures: n
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- Repair of achilles tendon rupture.
- Posterior compartment fasciotomy.
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nIndications: Suffered an achilles tendon rupture while performing jujitsu/martial arts 1 week prior. I discussed with him repair of his achilles tendon. Risks and benefits were discussed, including, but not inclusive to, nerve damage, infection, delay in healing, wound dehiscence, as well as re-rupture.nnCorrect CPT and ICD-10 Codes:nn27650 – RT modifier- Repair, primary, open or percutaneous, ruptured Achilles tendon;nn27893 – RT modifier- Decompression fasciotomy, leg; posterior compartment(s) only, with debridementnof nonviable muscle and/or nervennS86.011A – Strain of right Achilles tendon, initial encounternnT79.A21A – Traumatic compartment syndrome of right lower extremity, initial encountern
Known for putting patient experience first, the Cleveland Clinic revolves around relationship-centered communication. Check out this article, where experts dissect this philosophy and explain why it makes moral and financial sense! nnHospitals and providers are more aware than ever that communication and empathy can make all the difference in how a person feels about a hospital stay or medical encounter. But with competing priorities such as patient safety, quality, and other elements that visibly impact the bottom line, the ‘why’ for investing in patient experience can be a tough sell. Experts from the Cleveland Clinic note the following ways doing the right thing translates to dollars.nnThe Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services began tying Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) scores to hospital reimbursement in 2012.nnWhile the penalties for sub-par performances have increased slowly, the dollars now are substantial. As of this year, HCAHPS scores determine up to 2% of a hospital or health system’s Medicare payments.nn”The risk for not giving patients a good experience financially now becomes very high, so hospitals or practices that don’t stand behind the fact that we need to take care of our patients both behaviorally and clinically stand to lose a significant amount of money,” says Lori Kondas, MBA, senior director for the office of patient experience at the Cleveland Clinic.nn n
Medicare Wellness Services:nBilling for Medicare wellness services can be a huge pain point for any primary care practice. However, the pain is well worth it when you consider that providing these services can result in tens of thousands of additional reimbursement dollars for your practice. These services can reimburse up to $174 per visit.nnListed below are some strategies to ensure success and compliance with Medicare Wellness Services:n
The Health Care Freedom Act, which would have repealed employer and individual mandates while leaving some part of the ACA in place, was voted down by the Senate early this morning.nnIn a session that lasted into the wee hours Friday morning, the Senate voted down a “skinny” bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), dealing a big blow to the chamber’s Republican leadership.nnThe vote was 49-51 to defeat the bill — known as the 
Welter Healthcare Partners is excited to present our helpful career advancing tips and strategies to sharpen the skills prospective employers look for in a coder!nnConversation Skills – The art of smooth conversation centers on the communicator’s ability to effectively convey ideas and information. Conversation skills take practice, patience, and development over time and will gradually lead to having constructive and enjoyable conversations with others. The rise of social media has made human interactions and conversation generally more difficult. Keep in mind – a conversation is a 2-way street – it’s not all about you and what you are saying! During a conversation, there should be a noticeable balance between talking and listening, which can be reinforced by appropriate body language. Listen to understand what the other person is saying and not just to formulate your response. It is important to be interested in the other person’s input and ideas, which will make you more interesting to talk to, which in turn makes the conversation flow more smoothly.
Due to the recent interest to repeal and replace Obamacare, healthcare-provider groups have called on Congress to cut a bipartisan deal on healthcare reforms!nn”The best approach would be for Congress members to reach across the aisle and address some of the specific problem areas of the Affordable Care Act,” Elizabeth “Betsy” Ryan, JD, president and CEO of the New Jersey Hospital Association, told HealthLeaders.nn”To me, letting Obamacare fail would be a dereliction of government’s responsibility to the people. This is not just a political fight to be won—these are real people, real families, whose healthcare is at stake.”nnPartisan congressional approaches to repealing, replacing, or repairing the PPACA are likely destined for the scrapheap, Nicholas Schilligo, MS, vice president of public policy at the Chicago-based American Osteopathic Association (AOA), told HealthLeaders. “Any meaningful solution is going to require bipartisan discussion, including hearings that thoroughly examine and vet a lot of the issues that are going to be put forward.”nnThis past weekend’s collapse of the Senate’s Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill, the Better Care and Reconciliation Act (BCRA), prompted Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to call on his Senate colleagues to pass repeal-only legislation. The Kentucky Republican’s repeal-only plan includes a two-year grace period to give Congress time to craft a replacement for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).n