Gastroenterology Coding Updates for 2018

ONLINEAUDIOTRAINING
By:TerryFletcher
www.onlineaudiotraining.com
ICD-10-CM GUIDELINES RELEASED!!

Just released on Thursday, Aug. 10 are the Official ICD-10-CM/PCS Coding and Reporting Guidelines for the 2018 fiscal year, totaling
117 pages. The National Center for Health Statistics, via the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), has posted the
guidelines on its website here:https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/icd/10cmguidelines_fy2018_final.pdf.
Readers should note that the time frame to which these guidelines apply to is Oct. 1, 2017 to Sept. 30, 2018.

When you review the guidelines for this coming fiscal year, please take note the following:

 Narrative changes appear in bold text

 Items underlined have been moved within the guidelines since the FY 2017 version
 Italics are used to indicate revisions to heading changes

The conventions for ICD-10-CM are the general rules for use of the classification, independent of the guidelines, and there remain 19
of these conventions, as in the FY 2017 guidelines. Convention No. 15, “with,” does have some revised narrative, so every coding
professional should read this over carefully. Here’s a portion of this revision, highlighted in blue font:
The word “with” or “in” should be interpreted to mean “associated with” or “due to” when it appears in a code title, the Alphabetic
Index, or an instructional note in the Tabular List.
These conditions should be coded as related even in the absence of provider documentation explicitly linking them, unless the
documentation clearly states the conditions are unrelated or when another guideline exists that specifically requires a documented
linkage between two conditions (e.g., sepsis guideline for “acute organ dysfunction that is not clearly associated with the sepsis”).

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New for 2018
 Changes proposed to diverticulitis with perforation for ICD-10 coding to better clarify the severity
of the patient’s problem and whether generalized peritonitis occurred
 Distinctions between cholecystitis without gangrene or perforation, cholecystitis
with gangrene without perforation, and cholecystitis with perforation are proposed
new codes to more accurately characterize the severity of cholecystitis

 A finding indicating the presence of multiple pouches, usually in the colonic or gastric wall.
 K57 Diverticular disease of intestine
 K57.0 Diverticulitis of small intestine with perforation and abscess
 K57.00 …… without bleeding
 K57.01 …… with bleeding
 K57.1 Diverticular disease of small intestine without perforation or abscess
 K57.10 Diverticulosis of small intestine without perforation or abscess without bleeding
 K57.11 Diverticulosis of small intestine without perforation or abscess with bleeding
 K57.12 Diverticulitis of small intestine without perforation or abscess without bleeding

K57.13 Diverticulitis of small intestine without perforation or abscess with bleeding

K57.2 Diverticulitis of large intestine with perforation and abscess

K57.20 …… without bleeding

K57.21 …… with bleeding
K57.3 Diverticular disease of large intestine without perforation or abscess

K57.30 Diverticulosis of large intestine without perforation or abscess without bleeding

K57.31 Diverticulosis of large intestine without perforation or abscess with bleeding

K57.32 Diverticulitis of large intestine without perforation or abscess without bleeding

K57.33 Diverticulitis of large intestine without perforation or abscess with bleeding

K57.4 Diverticulitis of both small and large intestine with perforation and abscess

K57.40 …… without bleeding

K57.41 …… with bleeding

K57.9 Diverticular disease of intestine, part unspecified, without perforation or abscess

K57.90 Diverticulosis of intestine, part unspecified, without perforation or abscess without bleeding
 K57.91 Diverticulosis of intestine, part unspecified, without perforation or abscess with bleeding
 K57.92 Diverticulitis of intestine, part unspecified, without perforation or abscess without bleeding
 K57.93 Diverticulitis of intestine, part unspecified, without perforation or abscess with bleeding


For example: A 64-year-old male is seen for follow-up of diverticulitis. Without documentation of location or complications,
the correct code is K57.92.
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Six New Hypertension Codes 2018

ICD-10-CM 2018 brings us 6 new codes for pulmonary hypertension, which effects the arteries of the
lungs and the heart.

New codes are as follows:

 I27.20 (Pulmonary hypertension, unspecified)
 I27.21 (Secondary pulmonary arterial hypertension)
 I27.22 (Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease)
 I27.23 (Pulmonary hypertension due to lung diseases and hypoxia)
 I27.24 (Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension)
 I27.29 (Other secondary pulmonary hypertension)

You may see these codes more often with Right Heart Cath coding and possible valve replacement
coding.

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2018E/Mservicesupdate
Physician practices should note several changes to E/M codes, which includes a new “star”
symbol added to CPT to designate possible “Synchronous Telemedicine Health” code
inclusions, and several revised code descriptor sections. Pay close attention to modifier -95
and -GT

• Plush Care
• VIP Care
• Telehealth
• eVisit

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 Coding for Telehealth Services-preview
Reporting Telehealth Services with the appropriate modifiers- Only ½ the story

Submit your Medicare and Medicaid claims for telehealth services using the appropriate CPT® or HCPCS code
for the telehealth service along with the modifier GT (via interactive audio and video telecommunications
systems)- for example, 99202-GT.
By coding and billing the GT modifier with a covered telehealth procedure code, you are certifying that the
beneficiary was present at an eligible originating site when your physician or qualified approved
practitioner furnishes the telehealth service. By coding and billing the GT modifier with the covered ESRD-
related service telehealth code, you are certifying that your provider furnishes one “hands on” visit per
month to examine the vascular access site.
For Federal telemedicine demonstration programs in Alaska or Hawaii, your submitted claims with the
appropriate CPT® or HCPCS code for the professional service along with the GQ modifier, to certify a
asynchronous telecommunications system was used.
! Reminder: CMS states that POS 02 is effective January 1st, 2017. A CMS transmittal (R3586CP) mentions that any time claims
for telehealth services are reported that include modifier GT or GQ on either the CPT® or HCPCS code, but do not include
new POS 02, they will be denied. It also mentions that if the new POS 02 is used and the modifiers are not included, the
service will be denied by Medicare.
Make sure you attend one of our Telemedicine Webinars in 2018 to become even more informed on this topic.

*Terry Fletcher is a member of the American Telemedicine Association 2017

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Modifier 25 Alert!-2018

E/M Codes with modifier -25 may face drastic pay reductions for some
practices.
Watch your E/M Claims where you append the modifier 25 (Significant, separately identifiable E/M service) if your patients have
insurance with a Medicare Advantage carrier that operates in 25 states. This started on August 1st, when Independence
Health Group, which covers almost 9 million people under private health insurance and Medicare Advantage plans,
announced via their website and provider emails, it would apply a “payment reduction of 50%” to an E/M service when it is
billed/reported with a modifier 25 on the same date as a minor procedure. The company also said it would cut payment at
the same 50% rate for E/M services billed with modifier 25 when a preventative code is also billed. The policy document lists
17 preventative service codes that apply, including 99381-99387, 99391-99397, G0438 and G0349 the AWV. This revised
payment policy will significantly impact reimbursement for many practices around the country. I fear this could have

physicians bringing patients back on a different day to get paid for both services at 100%.

We strongly urge providers who are participating with this plan to fight it with the
provider relations department of that payer. There is no basis for this.

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 New Patient relationship Modifiers for 2018- per CMS

Next year CMS plans to give physicians and some non-physician

practitioners the opportunity to test drive modifiers that indicate the
relationship between provider and patient.
CMS was required to create codes that will be appended to Medicare claims to “facilitate the attribution of
patients and episodes to one or more clinicians” ~ by MACRA
Here are the proposed modifiers for the 2018 physician fee schedule:
*X1- (Continuous/broad services) Principal care no planned endpoint
*X2- (Continuous/focused services) Clinicians whose expertise is needed for ongoing management
*X3- (Episodic/broad services) Clinicians who have broad responsibility for comprehensive needs, i.e. hospitalist
*X4- (Episodic/focused services) Specialty clinicians who provide time-limited care, i.e surgery, radiation etc..
*X5- (Only as ordered by another clinician) Example a radiologist or cardiologist who interprets a diagnostic test

These modifiers are intended for use by physicians and applicable NPP’s. The Jan 1st, 2018 rollout of the codes is required by law.
However the use of the modifiers will not be mandatory in 2018. The modifiers “may be voluntarily reported on Medicare
claims, and will not effect payment”. They should not be used with quality measures.

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Pro-ActiveInternal&ExternalAudits

Medicarecontinuestoperformingmorefrequentpreandpost-paymentauditsandsharing
theseresultswithsecondaryproviders.
Beproactiveandspotcheckyourpractice.If yougetaletterfromyourMACcarriersaying they
founda50%orhighererrorrateonE/Moryouarefrequentlybeingaskedforrecordsto support
services,performaninternalaudit(oruseanexternalauditor)togiveyouanassessmentofyour
practicesoyoucanbepreparedforanyrefundrequestsfromboth Medicareandthesecondary
payer.

(ContactusatTerryFletcherCPC@aol.comforinternal/externalauditingoptionsor1-800-805-8056)

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 Terry Fletcher BS, CPC, CCC, CEMC, CCS, CCS-P, CMC, CMCSC, CMCS, ACS-CA, SCP-CA

This coding reference manual, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any
means, without written permission from the author and/or publisher. Terry Fletcher Consulting, Inc.©
All reference to the AMA© CPT-4 codes are copyrighted by AMA. 21