Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among workers in the United States.
November is National Diabetes Month, as well as Diabetic Eye Disease Awareness Month. Are you aware that diabetes is the leading cause of blindness among the working people of the United States?
The 2019 ICD-10-CM Official Coding Guidelines state that if a type of diabetes is not mentioned or documented, then the patient is assumed to be type 2. If the type 2 diabetic patient uses insulin or oral hypoglycemic medication, the medications can be coded as Z79.4 or Z79.84, respectively. If the diabetic patient takes both oral medication and insulin, it is only necessary to code the insulin usage. The ICD-10-CM code Z79.4 is also a hierarchical condition category (HCC), making for another reason to report the code.
As part of marking National Diabetes Month, you should be aware of your A1C level. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the normal range is less than 5.7 percent; prediabetes is considered at 5.7-6.4 percent; and diabetes is diagnosed at 6.5 percent or greater. Other conditions that can affect your A1C include kidney failure, liver disease, severe anemia, certain blood disorders, medications, blood loss or transfusion, and early/late pregnancy. If you are diabetic, your A1C goal is 7 percent or less.
How can a patient prevent vision loss if they have diabetes?
Diabetic retinopathy is a condition that does not have symptoms in the early stages, so it is important to use early detection methods and timely treatment. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is when blood vessels in the retina are damaged or swollen, or begin to grow irregularly. DR has four stages: mild, moderate, and severe. The coder is able to assign DR codes according to the type of diabetes and the stage of retinopathy.
The following diagnosis codes show the variation in codes and require the appropriate seventh character to show laterality. These codes are also classified as HCCs:
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy is a more advanced form of the disease, characterized by growth of tiny abnormal blood vessels that can affect the optic disc. Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy is also known as background retinopathy, which consists of microaneurysms of blood vessels: abnormal enlargements of the blood vessels in the eye where the vessels walls are weak. This condition can also be associated with macular edema.
The treatment of these conditions varies, with methods ranging from monitoring to phototherapy (laser) treatment. Another treatment approach is to maintain diabetic health through diet, exercise, and medication regimen.
If you are diabetic, take the time to ensure that your eyes are healthy. Remember that the eyes have it in November!
This a heads-up on a definitional change coming our way. There will be the launching of a new framework for obesity in mid-January, per a
In ICD-10-CM, we have the ability to assign very specific external cause codes. As noted in Chapter 20, they allow us to classify environmental events
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Join Beth Wolf, MD, CPC, CCDS, for an in-depth webcast on the FY2025 spinal fusion MS-DRG updates. Discover key changes in DRG classification, understand impacts on documentation and CMI, and learn strategies to ensure compliance.
Join Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, as she presents effective strategies to strengthen collaboration between CDI, coding, and quality departments in acute care hospitals. Angela will also share guidance on implementing cross-departmental meetings, using shared KPIs, and engaging leadership to foster a culture of collaboration. Attendees will gain actionable tools to optimize documentation accuracy, elevate quality metrics, and drive a unified approach to healthcare goals, ultimately enhancing both patient outcomes and organizational performance.
Optimize your outpatient clinical documentation and gain comprehensive knowledge from foundational practices to advanced technologies, ensuring improved patient care and organizational and financial success. This webcast bundle provides a holistic approach to outpatient CDI, empowering you to implement best practices from the ground up and leverage advanced strategies for superior results. You will gain actionable insights to improve documentation quality, patient care, compliance, and financial outcomes.
Enhancing outpatient clinical documentation is crucial for maintaining accuracy, compliance, and proper reimbursement in today’s complex healthcare environment. This webcast, presented by industry expert Angela Comfort, DBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, will provide you with actionable strategies to tackle complex challenges in outpatient documentation. You’ll learn how to craft detailed clinical narratives, utilize advanced EHR features, and implement accurate risk adjustment and HCC coding. The session also covers essential regulatory updates to keep your documentation practices compliant. Join us to gain the tools you need to improve documentation quality, support better patient care, and ensure financial integrity.
Dr. Ronald Hirsch provides critical details on the new Medicare Appeal Process for Status Changes for patients whose status changes during their hospital stay. He also delves into other scenarios of hospital patients receiving custodial care or medically unnecessary services where patient notifications may be needed along with the processes necessary to ensure compliance with state and federal guidance.
Healthcare organizations face complex regulatory requirements under the No Surprises Act and Price Transparency rules. These policies mandate extensive fee disclosures across settings, and confusion is widespread—many hospitals remain unaware they must post every contracted rate. Non-compliance could lead to costly penalties, financial loss, and legal risks. Join David M. Glaser Esq. as he shows you how to navigate these regulations effectively.
Protect your facility from unwanted audits! Join Becky Jacobsen, BSN, RN, MBS, CCS-P, CPC, CPEDC, CBCS, CEMC, and take a deep dive into both the CMS and AMA guidelines for reporting post operative pain blocks. You’ll learn how to determine if the nerve block is separately codable with real life examples for better understanding. Becky will also cover how to evaluate whether documentation supports medical necessity, offer recommendations for stronger documentation practices, and provide guidance on educating providers about documentation requirements. She’ll include a discussion of appropriate modifier and diagnosis coding assignment so that you can be confident that your billing of post operative pain blocks is fully supported and compliant.
During this RACmonitor webcast Dr. Ronald Hirsch spotlights the areas of the OIG’s Work Plan and the findings of their most recent audits that impact utilization review, case management, and audit staff. He also provides his common-sense interpretation of the prevailing regulations related to those target issues. You’ll walk away better equipped with strategies to put in place immediately to reduce your risk of paybacks, increased scrutiny, and criminal penalties.
Copyright © 2024 ICD10monitor. Powered by MedLearn Media.
Prepare for the 2025 CMS IPPS Final Rule with ICD10monitor’s IPPSPalooza! Click HERE to learn more
Get 15% OFF on all educational webcasts at ICD10monitor with code JULYFOURTH24 until July 4, 2024—start learning today!
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
