Coronavirus continues to dominate the news.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is a developing story and ICD10monitor will continue to update you on the latest development on this global health crisis.
In the wake of the deadly coronavirus (nCoV), U.S. hospitals are preparing for an emergency response nationally by using the four “Ss” – supplies, staff, space, and system. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have issued advisories to assist with preparation. The advisories included information on infection control policies.
Foreign travelers arriving in the U.S. are being screened by Customs and Border Patrol regarding their travel history while reviewing the passports. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds another layer by having medical personnel question travelers who have visited mainland China about possible exposure to the virus. Anyone who may be at risk will undergo diagnostic testing.
The coronavirus story continues to dominate the news including the sad news that the physician who originally sounded the alert has become a victim of the disease. Dr. Li Wenliang died Feb. 7 in the hospital that was treating him. There are now 40,484 confirmed cases with 910 deaths across more than 24 countries. 2019 nCoV has now surpassed the SARS epidemic from 2003. Here in the U.S. there are now 12 confirmed cases involving six states – Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington, and Wisconsin. The twelfth case was reported in Wisconsin.
Carnival Cruise Line has been quarantined in Yokohama, Japan after eight Americans were diagnosed with the coronavirus virus with 41 new cases being reported. Americans who were evacuated from China and placed in quarantine for two weeks have had four identified confirmed cases. The U.S. is now planning more evacuations from China.
There is more news from the coding perspective. The World Health Organization (WHO) is contemplating a new code for this specific coronavirus. Any development will be posted on the WHO website. A proposal for a new code is expected to be discussed during the upcoming CMS Coordination and Maintenance Committee when the organization meets March 17 and 18. At this writing, the materials have not been posted for the meeting. The CDC will ensure that any new code will be consistent with the WHO addition to ICD-10. The ICD-10-CM proposed code would become effective Oct. 1, 2020.
When coding 2019 nCoV, the coder should assign the infection code, then assign B97.29 (which will identify the organism). Code B34.2 is a viral infection. This code should only be used for viral infections. 2019 nCoV is like the SAR virus, but not the same so code B97.21 would not be an appropriate code to use for this new virus.
Programming Note:
Listen to Laurie Johnson report this story live today during Talk Ten Tuesday 10-10:30 a.m. EST.
Let’s start with what seems to be a never-ending topic of conversation: the new policies by Medicare Advantage (MA) plans to deny or reduce payments
As of Jan. 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) initiated a three-year phase-out of the Inpatient-Only (IPO) List, which fundamentally reshapes how
Please log in to your account to comment on this article.
Expert presenters Kathy Pride, RHIT, CPC, CCS-P, CPMA, and Brandi Russell, RHIA, CCS, COC, CPMA, break down complex fracture care coding rules, walk through correct modifier application (-25, -57, 54, 55), and clarify sequencing for initial and subsequent encounters. Attendees will gain the practical knowledge needed to submit clean claims, ensure compliance, and stay one step ahead of payer audits in 2026.
Accurately determining the principal diagnosis is critical for compliant billing, appropriate reimbursement, and valid quality reporting — yet it remains one of the most subjective and error-prone areas in inpatient coding. In this expert-led session, Cheryl Ericson, RN, MS, CCDS, CDIP, demystifies the complexities of principal diagnosis assignment, bridging the gap between coding rules and clinical reality. Learn how to strengthen your organization’s coding accuracy, reduce denials, and ensure your documentation supports true medical necessity.
Denials continue to delay reimbursement, increase administrative burden, and threaten financial stability across healthcare organizations. This essential webcast tackles the root causes—rising payer scrutiny, fragmented workflows, inconsistent documentation, and underused analytics—and offers proven, data-driven strategies to prevent and overturn denials. Attendees will gain practical tools to strengthen documentation and coding accuracy, engage clinicians effectively, and leverage predictive analytics and AI to identify risks before they impact revenue. Through real-world case examples and actionable guidance, this session empowers coding, CDI, and revenue cycle professionals to shift from reactive appeals to proactive denial prevention and revenue protection.
Sepsis remains one of the most frequently denied and contested diagnoses, creating costly revenue loss and compliance risks. In this webcast, Angela Comfort, DBA, MBA, RHIA, CDIP, CCS, CCS-P, provides practical, real-world strategies to align documentation with coding guidelines, reconcile Sepsis-2 and Sepsis-3 definitions, and apply compliant queries. You’ll learn how to identify and address documentation gaps, strengthen provider engagement, and defend diagnoses against payer scrutiny—equipping you to protect reimbursement, improve SOI/ROM capture, and reduce audit vulnerability in this high-risk area.
Join Ronald Hirsch, MD, FACP, CHCQM for The PEPPER Returns – Risk and Opportunity at Your Fingertips, a practical webcast that demystifies the PEPPER and shows you how to turn complex claims data into actionable insights. Dr. Hirsch will explain how to interpret key measures, identify compliance risks, uncover missed revenue opportunities, and understand new updates in the PEPPER, all to help your organization stay ahead of audits and use this powerful data proactively.
Stay ahead of the 2026-2027 audit surge with “Top 10 Audit Targets for 2026-2027 for Hospitals & Physicians: Protect Your Revenue,” a high-impact webcast led by Michael Calahan, PA, MBA. This concise session gives hospitals and physicians clear insight into the most likely federal audit targets, such as E/M services, split/shared and critical care, observation and admissions, device credits, and Two-Midnight Rule changes, and shows how to tighten documentation, coding, and internal processes to reduce denials, recoupments, and penalties. Attendees walk away with practical best practices to protect revenue, strengthen compliance, and better prepare their teams for inevitable audits.
As AI reshapes healthcare compliance, the risk of biased outputs and opaque decision-making grows. This webcast, led by Frank Cohen, delivers a practical Four-Pillar Governance Framework—Transparency, Accountability, Fairness, and Explainability—to help you govern AI-driven claim auditing with confidence. Learn how to identify and mitigate bias, implement robust human oversight, and document defensible AI review processes that regulators and auditors will accept. Discover concrete remedies, from rotation protocols to uncertainty scoring, and actionable steps to evaluate vendors before contracts are signed. In a regulatory landscape that moves faster than ever, gain the tools to stay compliant, defend your processes, and reduce liability while maintaining operational effectiveness.
Get clear, practical answers to Medicare’s most confusing regulations. Join Dr. Ronald Hirsch as he breaks down real-world compliance challenges and shares guidance your team can apply right away.
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. 1 with code CYBER25
CYBER WEEK IS HERE! Don’t miss your chance to get 20% off now until Dec. 2 with code CYBER24
