National Convention Coding Community Sessions
Ruth Gappa, NHIMA Coding Roundtable

I attended the Coding Community Sessions at the 82nd AHIMA Convention September 25-26th in Orlando, Florida.  Many of the presentation topics focused on the current initiatives that are creating necessary change within coding departments, such as RAC, APR-DRG, ICD-10, Modifiers, understanding clinical disease processes, clinical documentation improvement, computer assisted coding, compliant querying and coding with an electronic medical record.

For a summary of highlights of those sessions I attended, please click here.  Below is a summary of my favorite presentation of the weekend because it specifically outlined the keys to writing a successful and compliant query.  Enjoy!

A Physician's Cure for the Common Query
Andrew Rothschild, MD, MS, MPH, FAAP, CCDS , Navigant Consulting, Inc., Austin, TX

This topic and presenter were the best of the weekend.  Being a physician, he offered a perspective that offered the coders insight into what the physician is thinking when they receive a query from coding.  Please check out his presentation slides for excellent query advice on the AHIMA website.

Coding Roundtable Q&A

Q. What CPT code should be reported for a telephonic transmission of bedside 24 hour cardiac monitoring?  The information is being sent from a Critical Access facility to a larger facility within the state. 

A. The correct code for this service is 93012. 

CPT Assistant October 2005 PP 16-17

CPT code 93270, Patient demand single or multiple event recording with presymptom memory loop, 24-hour attended monitoring, per 30 day period of time; recording (includes hook-up, recording, and disconnection, represents hookup, recording, and disconnection of a memory loop recorder. 

As stated in the parenthetical note following CPT code 93272, CPT codes 93012, Telephonic transmission of post-symptom electrocardiogram rhythm strip(s), per 24-hour attended monitoring; per 30 day period of time; tracing only, and 93014, Telephonic transmission of post-symptom electrocardiogram rhythm strip(s), per 24-hour attended monitoring; per 30 day period of time; physician review with interpretation and report only, are intended to report the telephonic transmission of ECG rhythm strips from patients with event recorders that do not incorporate memory loop technology. Although CPT code 93012 states "tracing only," this code should be reported when the following components of this service are performed: hookup, patient instruction, recording, monitoring, physician interpretation of rhythm strips obtained (regardless of number) during a 30-day period of time, and preparation of a written report. CPT code 93014 represents only the professional component of a physician's interpretation of telephonically transmitted strips (regardless of number) during a 30-day period of time. These codes are also reported per 30-day period of time.