Substance abuse is a pervasive issue with profound implications for hospitals.

It has been estimated that up to 25 percent of hospitalized patients have a substance abuse disorder. And up to 44 percent of these patients abuse some substance during hospitalization. The annual estimated hospital cost for treating substance abuse disorders is as high as $13 billion.

But it’s not limited to patients, according to physician and attorney Dr. John K. Hall, who will be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays.

According to Dr. Hall, estimates show that up to 15 percent of physicians and 20 percent of nurses also have a substance abuse disorder. It affects patient outcomes, hospital operations, financial health, and the broader healthcare system. The complexity of substance use disorders requires a nuanced understanding of diagnostic categories, accurate coding, and awareness of the legal and employment ramifications.

The popular weekly Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of clinical documentation integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• Point of View: Dr. James S. Kennedy, who will be sitting in for Angela Comfort, will report on a topic that has captured his attention.

Attention, calling all coders!

Is your hospital compliantly following all the the steps in the Condition Code W2 process?

It’s imperative to understand all the details that must be followed, no matter how complex and daunting.

Implementation is mandated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Participation is not optional. So take a moment and ask yourself: are your attending physicians re-billing for Medicare Part B patients?

During the next live edition of the popular live Internet broadcast Talk Ten Tuesdays, the Medical Director of Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins, will walk you and your team through the requirements that need to be followed for Medicare Part B re-billing.

The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Artificial intelligence (AI) has quickly transitioned from something to expect in the future to the here and now today. The potential for AI in health information is both exciting and daunting. Reporting the lead story during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday will be longtime RACmonitor and ICD10monitor contributing author Sharon Easterling.

Sharon Easterling is slated to create an editorial series on artificial intelligence. Her report on this topic will be a preview of what readers and listeners will learn during her series.

The popular Internet broadcast will also feature these additional instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• Field Report: Dennis Jones, a veteran Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays contributing author, will report on the latest developments regarding the revenue cycle. Jones is the senior director of revenue cycle at Jefferson Health.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

As state laws, federal regulations, and insurance policies continue to evolve, healthcare organizations face growing demands to ensure that gender-affirming care is appropriately documented and reported.

Reporting on these serious coding challenges and the dire consequences of failing to achieve compliance during the next edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays will be senior healthcare consultant Penny Jefferson, the special guest for the broadcast coming up at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, July 1.

The popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Your pets might be doing more than just keeping you company. They could be reshaping your immune system.

Early exposure to pets, especially in childhood, may reduce allergies and asthma by diversifying gut bacteria and strengthening immunity, according to Dr. Nick van Terheyden, director of Incremental Health. Dr. Nick is scheduled to be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, coming up at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, June 24.

The popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Could physician advisors become dinosaurs in healthcare, bound for extinction?

The role of the physician advisor has developed into an absolute necessity in hospitals of all sizes around the country. As the healthcare landscape rapidly evolves, physician advisors have served as critical players, bridging the gap between confusion and clarity within clinical and administrative functions.

Yet, the question remains unanswered: why are only a fraction of physician advisors employed as full-time employees?

During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Juliet B. Ugarte Hopkins, MD, Medical Director of Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the pitfalls of inadvertently diluting the physician advisor’s focus and level of expertise.

The popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of clinical documentation integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• Field Report: Dennis Jones, a veteran Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays contributing editor, will report on the latest developments regarding the revenue cycle. Jones is the senior director of revenue cycle at Jefferson Health;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• Point of View: Dr. Kennedy will report on his efforts to advocate for a change in the definition of sepsis. Dr. Kennedy will be sitting in for Angela Comfort, who continues as the co-host for the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast.

One of the largest regional coding organizations in America’s healthcare universe – the California Health Information Association (CHIA) – wrapped its final workshops this past week, with delegates flying home to share their insights on what was considered to be a pivotal experience.

The ICD10monitor producers of Talk Ten Tuesdays have secured a rare appearance of CHIA’s past president, Gloryanne Byrant, who agreed to share five key takeaways from the annual conference.

During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, coming up at 10 a.m. EST on June 10, the popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of CDI for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• Field Report: Dennis Jones, a veteran Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays contributing editor, will report on the latest developments regarding the revenue cycle. Jones is the administrator of the revenue cycle at Jefferson Health;

The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

The national conference of the largest regional coding organization chapters in America’s healthcare universe gets underway this weekend – and James S. Kennedy, MD, will be there.

Dr. Kennedy, president of CDIMD, a national coding and clinical documentation integrity (CDI) consultancy, will be reporting on major events taking place at the California Health Information Association (CHIA) conference, starting this weekend in Southern California.

As a longtime editorial contributor to RACmonitor and ICD10monitor, Dr. Kennedy, will be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, coming up at 10 a.m. EST on June 3. The Internet broadcast, produced by ICD10monitor, is expected to feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

•Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;

•CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of CDI for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

•The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

•News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

•MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

UnitedHealth Group (UHG) stock is plummeting following the abrupt resignation of its CEO Andrew Witty. His sudden departure, coming on Tuesday, May 13, came amid multiple lawsuits and threatened actions by private, state, and federal agencies across the country, and amid massive criticism for the company’s tendency to deny beneficiaries coverage for services at elevated rates.

Witty’s exit from the giant payer – a long-time dominant force related to revenue cycle, provider staffing, utilization, and managed and commercial health insurance plans – seems to have rattled many in America’s sprawling health delivery system. So, how could these recent events affect other hospitals and health systems?

During the next live edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesdays, the Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins will share what she thinks of what might lie ahead. Dr. Ugarte Hopkins is the medical director for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc. and the Immediate Past President of the American College of Physician Advisors.

Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Radiology reports are rich in clinical detail, yet ICD-10 codes often fail to fully capture the complexity and specificity of imaging findings.

That is why the producers of Talk Ten Tuesdays and ICD10monitor have invited Laura Manser to explore the most common disconnects between radiology documentation and ICD-10 coding – especially in areas like incidental findings, laterality, and linking imaging results to medical necessity.

During the next edition of the weekly broadcast, Manser is also expected to highlight common errors, such as coding suggestive findings as definitive diagnoses, and provide practical guidance on bridging the gap between documentation and compliance.

Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.

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

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.