Healthcare providers nationwide are scanning the horizon for the first signs of ICD-11, which is slowly making its presence seen and felt.

However far in the future you might speculate the transition to ICD-11 to be, the reality is that preparation and planning will take time, and understanding the new concepts being introduced is a key starting point. And that will be where we start during the next live edition of Talk-Ten-Tuesdays; join Chuck Buck and Dr. Erica Remer when they welcome the return of Susan Gatehouse, founder and CEO of Axea Solutions, who will report the lead story.

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant with Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will have the Talk Ten Tuesdays Coding Report, along with the broadcast’s weekly Listeners Survey.
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• Mental Health Report: May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and here at Talk Ten Tuesdays, we continue to recognize the importance of this pressing national issue. Erin Head, senior healthcare consultant with Iron Mountain and coding auditor with Code and Comply Specialists, will join the broadcast to report on current challenges in behavioral health coding, focusing on telehealth coding best practices, plus key Inpatient Psychiatric Facility Prospective Payment System (IPF PPS) guidelines, and the importance of psych history codes, and provider documentation improvement.
  
  
• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.

When the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) began down the path of change that the American Medical Association (AMA) delivered in 2021 for the purpose of administrative burden relief, it was expected that there would be some initial investments of time necessary to create models of efficiency in a new era of documentation.

But most providers have chosen to avoid it. The totality is the patient story. And hasn’t that been the problem since the inception of templates, and one of the other reasons many rallied for changes to the guidelines?

Templates and stern requirements regarding how the patient encounter is documented tend to change – and at times, strangle – the story of the patient. But we must remember that the pen is mightier than the electronic medical record (EMR) – and that the author of the note is, in fact, the ultimate authority of it, and the controller of its destiny. Reporting our lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays will be Shannon DeConda, who will return to the broadcast to take a deeper dive into a subject that has continued to generate buzz since her last appearance several weeks ago..

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant with Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will have the Talk Ten Tuesdays Coding Report, along with the broadcast’s weekly Listeners Survey.  
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• Mental Health Report: May is Mental Health Awareness Month. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year, noting that 50 percent of all lifetime mental illness begins by the age of 15. Offering comment and context on the state of mental health in the United States will be Dr. H. Steven Moffic, award-winning author and internationally renowned psychiatrist.
  
  
• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.

It’s vitally important to remember that updates to the American Medical Association (AMA) CPT® code book might not be there when you need them.

But since January of this year, the AMA has been receiving provider feedback: essential information that now been incorporated in the AMA 2021 CPT® Errata and Technical Corrections. Navigating these changes during the next edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays will be nationally recognized physician auditor and coder Terry Fletcher, who will report on significant clarifications – including some evaluation and management (E&M) 2021 Office and Other Outpatient visit clarifications – designed to help practices square their visits with medical decision-making (MDM).

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• Tuesday Focus: HIM Professionals Engaging Physicians (Part II): Rose Dunn will continue with her series on how health information management (HIM) professionals, using their existing skill sets, can enhance physician practices in the outpatient environment.  
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• RegWatch: Stanley Nachimson, former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) career professional-turned-well-known healthcare IT authority, will report on the latest regulatory news coming out of Washington.
  
  
• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.

There’s a new segment of the healthcare population that represents yet another opportunity for health information management (HIM) professionals to leverage existing staff and processes to improve their organization’s bottom line. That new segment: physicians employed by healthcare systems.

During the next live edition of Talk-Ten-Tuesdays, nationally acclaimed HIM professional Rose T. Dunn, two-term president of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and chief operations officer for First Class Solutions, will return to the broadcast to report on important strategies to engage physicians – this being the first of a two-part series. Of particular relevance is the fact that now, according to the 21st Century Cures Act, consumers have been empowered to read notes that recap doctor office visits, as well as look at test results electronically. As such, now is the time for everyone at your facility to get on the same page.

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant with Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will have the Talk Ten Tuesdays Coding Report, along with the broadcast’s weekly Listeners Survey.

Tuesday Focus: Shannon DeConda, founder of the National Alliance of Medical Auditing Specialists (NAMAS), will return to the broadcast with an update on evaluation and management (E&M) codes.

Mental Health Report: Sexism: Sexism, like racism, causes all sorts of psychiatric problems and diagnoses. Though sexism towards females is more obvious, we in healthcare shouldn’t ignore its occurrence in men, too, according to Dr. H. Steven Moffic, award-winning author and internationally renowned psychiatrist, who will return to the broadcast to report on this hot-button topic – and also comment on the Derek Chauvin verdict that captured the world’s attention.

News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.

A key (and occasionally overlooked) role of the physician advisor is advocacy: advocacy for physician partners, advocacy for quality patient outcomes, and advocacy for clinical medicine represented on committees, in board rooms, and to agencies defining national standards.

During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Dr. Drew Updike, medical director of coding at UCHealth, and Dr. Debra Anoff, senior medical director of clinical documentation improvement (CDI) for UCHealth, will offer a blueprint on how they solved a local problem on a national level.

They identified a blind spot in Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) criteria that was negatively impacting their organization's PSI-06 Quality ranking, as a result of their being a regional referral center for a highly specialized congenital corrective surgery (the “Nuss” procedure).

After collaborating cross-sectionally within their organization, they engaged in advocacy to AHRQ; the result was successful modification of PSI-06 criteria, based in sound clinical reasoning.
The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant with Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will have the Talk Ten Tuesdays Coding Report, along with the broadcast’s weekly Listeners Survey.
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.

This episode is sponsored by:
AHIMA, MRA and AHDAM

Every day, in facilities ranging from small rural hospitals to large academic teaching facilities and health systems, these dedicated professionals are working to keep patient health information data accurate, secure, and most importantly, personal. Because when it’s personal, it’s relevant.

As part of our recognition of the importance of HIPs, please listen to HIP Voices, a podcast during which you’ll hear the stories of three dedicated professionals:

Laurie Peters, Global privacy officer at Orion Health

Sarah Throop, who describes her journey into telehealth and virtual care.

Shannan Swafford, Manages coding process improvement, BlueCross Blue Shield of Tennessee

ICD10monitor and Talk Ten Tuesdays will continue their reporting on the advent of ICD-11 – particularly during April, when attention turns to the World Health Organization (WHO).

A key question that needs answering: where does the United States fall among the countries that are either preparing or even implementing the new update for the standard code set?

For a global perspective on ICD-11 and the nation’s position on the new code set, Margaret Skurka, a member of the International Federation of Health Information Management Associations (IFHIMA) and past president of the American Health Information Management (AHIMA),will share perspective on ICD-11 planning during the next edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays. 

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant with Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will have the Talk Ten Tuesdays Coding Report, along with the broadcast’s weekly Listeners Survey.
  
  
• RegWatch: Stanley Nachimson, former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) career professional-turned-well-known healthcare IT authority, will report on two proposal rules posted by CMS.
  
  
• Mental Health Report: Anti-Asian Discrimination: Nearly 3,800 incidents have been reported by the Stop Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Hate reporting center from March 2020 through February 2021. There is an ICD-10 code to specify a diagnosis of being a victim of crime and terrorism. Reporting this troubling issue will be Dr. H. Steven Moffic, award-winning author and internationally renowned psychiatrist.
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) gave us the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), including several updates over the years, more recently versions 9 and 10.
And now on the horizon is version 11.

Thus, it is only fitting that Talk Ten Tuesdays would focus on the global accomplishments of the WHO this week, with the lead story for this upcoming edition focusing on the looming implementation of the new update for the standard code set. Leading off the reporting will be the broadcast’s special guest, Lorraine Fernandes, president of the International Federation of Health Information Management Associations (IFHIMA). Lorraine will report on the efforts by the organization to further advance the implementation of ICD-11.

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• CDI Report: Senior healthcare consultant and physician Alba Kuqi will make her Talk Ten Tuesdays debut with her report on clinical documentation integrity (CDI).
  
  
• Coding Report: Gloryanne Bryant, senior healthcare consultant, will report on First Quarter Coding Clinic.
  
  
• Tuesday Focus: Shannon DeConda, founder of the National Alliance of Medical Auditing Specialists (NAMAS), will return to the broadcast with an update on evaluation and management (E&M) codes.
  
  
• RegWatch: Stanley Nachimson, former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) career professional-turned-well-known healthcare IT authority, will report on the latest regulatory news coming out of Washington.
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• Attorney and physician John K. Hall will be substituting as guest host for the vacationing Dr. Erica Remer.

Implementation of the 21st Century Cures Act is set for Monday, April 5. In a nutshell, the legislation directs providers to cease all efforts of information blocking with respect to their electronic health records (EHRs), and to encourage and promote interoperability, allowing for communication and cooperation with third-party application program interfaces.

With respect to portions of clinical notes, there appear to be certain exceptions where physicians can block access, including psychotherapy notes, HIV testing results, and any notes that, in a physician’s judgement, could cause harm to an individual. Reporting our lead story on this topic during the next edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays will be nationally recognized professional auditor and coder Terry Fletcher.

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• Outpatient CDI Report:  Colleen Deighan, senior consultant with 3M, will conclude her exclusive three-part series for ICD10monitor and Talk Ten Tuesdays on outpatient clinical documentation improvement (CDI), reporting on measures that require abstracting.
  
  
• Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant with Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will report on the latest coding news and will also conduct the Talk Ten Tuesdays Listeners Survey.
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment. 

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (CDC/NCHS) have announced a proposal for biannual ICD-10-CM and PCS updates.

The impact on business processes would be far-reaching – much of it good, and some possibly not so good, according to Susan Gatehouse, who will report this development as the lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays. Gatehouse, the founder and CEO for Axea Solutions, will encourage listeners to respond during the public comment period being afforded by both agencies.

The live broadcast will also feature these other segments:

• Outpatient CDI Report: Colleen Deighan, senior consultant with 3M, will continue with Part II in her three-part series on outpatient clinical documentation improvement (CDI), reporting on measures that require abstracting.
  
  
• Coding Report: Laurie Johnson, senior healthcare consultant with Revenue Cycle Solutions, LLC, will report on the newly proposed codes presented during last week’s Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting. Johnson will also conduct the Talk Ten Tuesdays Listener Survey.
  
  
• News Desk: Timothy Powell, compliance expert and ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.
  
  
• TalkBack: Erica Remer, MD, founder and president of Erica Remer, MD, Inc. and Talk Ten Tuesdays co-host, will report on a subject that has caught her attention during her popular segment.