Whether you are a MDS Coordinator intensifying your knowledge of ICD-10s or a Coder training in skilled nursing services, SNFs and PPS swing bed programs are tasked with “perfection” on October 1. The Patient-Driven Payment Model (PDPM) demands discipline specific coding that captures the need to be inpatient and the care being provided each resident.
It’s simple: accurate coding forms the basis for reimbursement. It’s complicated: the procedure and diagnosis codes are numerous. And it’s change: skilled nursing settings have not used the detail needed to secure the most appropriate clinical code.
Under PDPM, ICD-10 diagnosis coding defines the need for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. Codes must capture all that Nursing is providing in services and procedures for the length of the stay. The list for non-therapy ancillaries (NTAs) with PDPM represents a myriad of co-morbidities that must be precise. The principle code on the UB-04 represents an exact measure of reason for Medicare reimbursement. Even the best skilled nursing coder will be challenged in finding the assurances he/she needs.
Don’t stop training, but consider adding a coder on demand through the HCCS SNF/SWB Hotline. Beginning September 1, Coders and MDS Coordinators will know assistance is just a click away!
For the per question rate of $ 50.00, HCCS provides certified coders seven days a week for a quick response. It’s the difference your team needs to nail it from the beginning of the most massive change in skilled nursing services since 1998.
Don’t you have enough things to worry about without fretting about coding? Visit the HCCS SNF Coding Hotline here.
