Methicillin-resistent Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) Infection

MRSA is a very tough to treat infection caused by a strain of staph bacteria that has become resistant to commonly used antibiotics generally used to treat ordinary staph infections.

• Can be life threatening.
• MRSA infection can be contagious by:
• Person-to-person / skin-to-skin contact.
• Coming in contact with materials or surfaces touched by a MRSA infected person or carrier

• A “carrier” is a person that that harbors the organism (MRSA) without manifesting symptoms of the infection.
• A carrier (Z22.322) can transmit the MRSA infection.
• Requires “isolation” while being treated.
• Typically causes skin sores and infections such as:
• Abscess
• Boils
• Stys
• Ulcers
• Cellulitis
• Impetigo
• Carbuncles
• MRSA can quickly spread once the germ has entered into the body.
• Bones
• Joints
• Bloodstream (Sepsis - )
• Muscle, Fascia (Necrotizing Fasciitis)
• Organs
• Brain (Meningitis)
• Heart (Endocarditis)
• Lungs (Pneumonia)
• Kidneys (UTI associated with Foley Catheter)

Health Care-Associated MRSA (HA-MRSA)

• Affects people who have been treated in a health-care facility such as:
• Hospitals
• Nursing Homes
• Rehab facilities
• Dialysis center
• Physician’s office
• Commonly seen in patients with:
• Weakened immune system from:
• Illness
• Long term medication therapy
• Cancer treatment
• Surgical history within a year
• Lengthy admissions to hospitals and/or long-term care facilities
• Chronic Kidney Disease on hemodialysis
• History of IV drug use

Community-Associated MRSA (CA_MRSA)

• MRSA showing up in healthy people outside of a health care setting
• Healthy people who may also be at risk:
• Military
• Children at day-care
• Athletes
• Prison inmates
• People who share items such as towels and razors
• People who have gotten tattoos and/or piercings

Signs and Symptoms

• Non-healing wound
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Rash
• Fever and chills
• Low blood pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Chest pain
• Weakness

Treatment

MRSA is resistant to some antibiotics but is still a treatable condition. There are some kinds of antibiotics that still work.

• Treatment often starts with Bactrim and Vancomycin.
• Other antibiotics used are:
• Clindamycin
• Minocycline
• Tygacil
• Cubicin
• Zyvox
• Synercid
• Unfortunately, even with these medications, there is emerging antibiotic resistance developing.
• Antibiotics are not always necessary.
• With early detection, in cases of a skin abscess or boil caused by MRSA, an incision and drainage may be all that is necessary.

Selection and Sequencing of MRSA Codes

Coding Guidelines:

• Section I.C.1.e.1.a. – Combination Codes for MRSA Infection:   When a patient is diagnosed with an infection that is due to Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), and that infection has a combination code that includes the causal organism (e.g., Sepsis, Pneumonia) assign the appropriate combination code for the condition (e.g., code A41.02, Sepsis due to Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or code J15.212, Pneumonia due to Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). Do not assign code B95.62, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere, as an additional code because the combination code includes the type of infection and the MRSA organism. Do not assign a code from subcategory Z16.11, Resistance to Penicillins, as an additional diagnosis.
• Section I.C.1.e.1.b. – Other Codes for MRSA Infection:   When there is documentation of a current infection (e.g., wound infection, stitch abscess, urinary tract infection) due to MRSA, and that infection does not have a combination code that includes the causal organism, assign the appropriate code to identify the condition along with code B95.62, Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Infection as the cause of diseases classified elsewhere for the MRSA infection. Do not assign a code from subcategory Z16.11, Resistance to Penicillins.
• Section I.C.e.1.c. – Methicillin Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) and MRSA Colonization:   The condition or state of being colonized or carrying MSSA or MRSA is called colonization or carriage, while an individual person is described as being colonized or being a carrier. Colonization means that MSSA or MRSA is present on or in the body without necessarily causing illness. A positive “MRSA screen positive” or “MRSA nasal swab positive”.
• Assign code Z22.322, Carrier or suspected carrier of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, for patients documented as having MRSA colonization. Assign code Z22.321, Carrier or suspected carrier of Methicillin Susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus, for patient documented as having MSSA colonization. Colonization is not necessarily indicative of a disease process or as the cause of a specific condition the patient may have unless documented as such by the provider.

• Section I.C.1.e.1.d. – MRSA Colonization and Infection:   If a patient is documented as having both MRSA colonization and infection during a hospital admission, code Z22.322, Carrier or suspected carrier of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, and a code for the MRSA infection may both be assigned.

Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) Infection

Another commonly known infection caused by the staph bacteria is Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA). MSSA is able to be treated with most penicillin based antibiotics and has yet become resistant to the more common antibiotics enabling the treatment to be cleared up easier than it would be if it was resistant in the case of MRSA.

MSSA can be as serious as MRSA. Signs and symptoms are the same.

The implementation date of ICD-10-CM/PCS is fast approaching. ICD-10-CM/PCS will require coders to possess an in-depth knowledge and understanding of anatomy & physiology and pathophysiology.   Coders’, who are well-versed on how a body in both the healthy state as well as during the disease process should function, will be better prepared to query providers for clarification when additional documentation is required.  In turn, a coder will be able to make appropriate correlations when reviewing documentation and be able to avoid needless queries.

 

If your hospital performs a procedure involving services approved for a new technology add-on payment, are you getting the money you deserve? The 2014 IPPS Final Rule included add-on payments for several new technology drugs and procedures when performed on hospital inpatients. Providers should include the appropriate procedure, diagnosis, and/or drug codes for these services in order to receive the additional payments.

1). Glucarpidase (Voraxaze®)—treats patients who have been diagnosed with toxic methotrexate (MTX) concentrations as a result of renal impairment. It causes a rapid, continuous reduction of MTX concentrations. The procedure code necessary to report this drug is (00.95). The maximum add-on payment is $45,000 per case.

2). DIFICID™ (Fidaxomicin)—an oral antibiotic tablet that works against Clostridium-Difficile associated diarrhea (CDAD). DIFICID cases are reported with diagnosis code (008.45) to capture the Clostridium-Difficile infection in combination with the National Drug Code (52015-0080-01). Both the diagnosis and NDC codes must be reported on the 837i Health Care Claim Form. The maximum add-on payment is $868.

3). Zenith Fenestrated Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) Endovascular Graft®—treats patients who have an AAA but are anatomically unsuitable for treatment with current endovascular grafts due to their infra-renal aortic neck being too short. The procedure code necessary to report the graft is (39.78). The maximum add-on payment is $8,171.50.

4). Argus® II Retinal Prosthesis System—treatment for patients with Retinitis Pigmentosa that have little or no light perception in either eye. The system consists of an implant (epiretinal prosthesis), an external component, and a fitting system. The procedure code necessary to report the prosthesis is (14.81). The maximum payment is $72,028.75.

5). Zilver® PTX® Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent—treatment of peripheral arterial disease of the superficial femoral arteries. The stent is coated with Paclitaxel, a drug that treats patients with advanced forms of cancer. The procedure code necessary to report the stent is (00.60). The maximum add-on payment is $1,705.25.

6). Kcentra™--a replacement therapy for fresh frozen plasma (FFP) for patients with an acquired coagulation factor deficiency due to Warfarin and who are experiencing a severe bleed. The procedure code necessary to report this drug is (00.96) (Infusion of 4-Factor Prothrombin Complex Concentrate). The maximum add-on payment is $1,587.50.    

2-Midnight Benchmark and Medicare Inpatient-Only Procedures

Question:

In light of the new 2-Midnight Benchmark for Physicians, does this mean that inpatient-only procedures that require a 1-day length of stay would now need to be billed as an outpatient?

Answer:

No, per the excerpt from the 2014 IPPS Final Rule below, admissions for a procedure on the Medicare inpatient-only list regardless of the length of stay should be an inpatient and billed as an inpatient stay.

“Comment: Commenters indicated that inpatient-only procedures that require a 1-day length of stay would be affected by this proposed policy and may not be adequately reimbursed under Medicare Part B. The commenters requested that CMS specify that all services on the inpatient-only list should automatically be deemed to meet inpatient service criteria, even if the beneficiary is in the hospital for less than 2 midnights. Conversely, another commenter suggested that excluding inpatient-only procedures, which may or may not require 2-midnight stays, contradicts a time-based policy.

Response: In the proposed rule, we stated that procedures on the OPPS inpatient-only list are always appropriately inpatient, regardless of the actual time expected at the hospital, so long as the procedure is medically necessary and performed pursuant to a physician order and formal admission. Procedures designated as inpatient-only are deemed statutorily appropriate for inpatient payment at § 419.22(n). As such, we believe that inpatient-only procedures are appropriate for exclusion from the 2-midnight benchmark. Under this final rule, inpatient-only procedures currently performed as inpatient 1-day procedures will continue to be provided as inpatient 1-day procedures, and therefore this rule will not result in any change in status or reimbursement.”

Source: Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 160 / Monday, August 19, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 50947

2-Midnight Benchmark and Psychiatric Services

Question:

Does the new 2-Midnight Benchmark apply to Inpatient Psychiatric Services?

Answer:

Yes, per the excerpt from the 2014 IPPS Final Rule below, the 2-Mignight Benchmark does apply to Inpatient Psychiatric Services.

“Comment: Commenters questioned the applicability of the proposed rule to differing types of hospital facilities. Commenters specifically requested clarity regarding application of the rule to IRFs and IPFs. Commenters further asserted that this distinction may conflict with State laws requiring inpatient admissions post 24 hours, and such States should be granted exception.

Response: In the proposed rule, our reference to section 1861(e) of the Act was intended to specify that CAHs were included in the proposed policies, not that we were proposing that IPFs or other non-IPPS hospitals should be excluded. Having considered the public comments to the proposed rule, we believe that all hospitals, LTCHs, and CAHs, with the exception of IRFs, would appropriately be included in our final policies regarding the 2-midnight admission guidance and medical review criteria for determining the general appropriateness of inpatient admission and Part A payment. Due to the inherent differences in the operation of and beneficiary admissions to IRFs, such providers must be excluded from the aforementioned admission guidelines and medical review instruction. We disagree with the commenters’ assertion that the 2-midnight admission and medical review policies conflict with existing state laws regarding observation. The 2-midnight benchmark does not prohibit physicians from ordering inpatient admission in accordance with state law; rather, this policy indicates when Medicare payment will be deemed appropriate. To the extent that State law requires admission in situations where Medicare payment would not be appropriate, providers should work with their States to resolve those discrepancies.”

Source: Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 160 / Monday, August 19, 2013 / Rules and Regulations 50949

A Medicare patient presents to your hospital to have her pacemaker replaced. Is your hospital due a manufacturer’s credit because the pacemaker is still under warranty, is being recalled, or has malfunctioned? How do you know? If a credit is due, did you receive it? And if you received the credit, did you pass the appropriate information on to Medicare by including the correct modifiers and/or codes on the claim? Understanding and implementing the rules on credits for replaced devices is important in order to receive correct payment and to prevent non-compliance.

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) continues with their compliance reviews of hospitals which look at a number of high-risk issues that the OIG has previously identified. One issue that affects both inpatient and outpatient billing and appears on almost every OIG compliance audit is “manufacturer credits for replaced medical devices not reported.” For example, in four compliance audits published in September, overpayments for manufacturer credits not reported totaled almost $350,000.

Federal regulations require reductions in the inpatient (IPPS) or outpatient (OPPS) payment for the replacement of an implanted device if

1. the device is replaced without cost to the provider or the beneficiary,
2. the provider receives full credit for the device cost, or
3. the provider receives partial credit equal to or greater than 50 percent of the cost of the replacement device.

The biggest challenge for hospitals is not the billing instructions (explained below), but internal policies and processes to identify, obtain, and properly report credits from medical device manufacturers. Within the hospital, this will require coordination and communication between the hospital purchasing department, the product manufacturer, the department performing the procedure (usually cardiology or surgery), patient accounts, and possibly the physician performing the procedure.

Making this even more difficult is the government’s expectation that not only will hospitals correctly report credits they have received, but also that they be aware of when they are due a credit. The Medicare Provider Reimbursement Manual states that Medicare providers are expected to pursue free replacements or reduced charges under warranties for medical devices. The OIG discusses this in their reports as the “prudent buyer principle.”

A recent FDA rule may make the process easier for hospitals to track devices. On September 25, 2013, the FDA finalized a rule that requires most medical devices to have a “unique device identifier” (UDI). This will allow devices to be tracked from the manufacturer to the seller to the buyer to the patient. This new identifier may assist hospitals in tracking credits received and credits due them.

The instructions for reporting device credits on the Medicare claim are found in the Medicare Claims Processing manual: Chapter 3, section 100.8 for inpatient claims and Chapter 4, section 61.3 for outpatient claims.

Inpatient Claims

The important things to remember for inpatient billing regarding device credits include:

• Report condition code 49 or 50 -
• 49 Product Replacement within Product Lifecycle—Replacement of a product earlier than the anticipated lifecycle due to an indication that the product is not functioning properly.
• 50 Product Replacement for Known Recall of a Product—Manufacturer or FDA has identified the product for recall and therefore replacement.

• Report value code FD with the amount of the credit, or cost reduction, received by the hospital for the replaced device. Medicare deducts this amount from the final IPPS payment.
• Inpatient device credits only apply to specific MS-DRGs defined by Medicare. A list of the applicable DRGs can be found in MLN Matters Article MM7457.

Outpatient Claims

Outpatient claims must include:

• Modifier FB when the hospital receives a device at no cost or with full credit -
• If the replacement device costs the same or less than the device being replaced, the hospital would report a charge of less $1.01 for the replacement device.
• If the replacement device costs more than the credit for the device being replaced, the hospital would report a device charge of the difference between its usual charges for the replacement device and the device being replaced.
• Modifier FC when the hospital receives a partial credit of 50 percent or more of the cost of a new replacement device due to warranty, recall, or field action.
• Modifiers FB and FC are applied to the procedure code (not the device code)
• Medicare payment is reduced by the full offset payment amount for modifier FB and partial offset amount for modifier FC.
• Outpatient device credits only apply to specific APCs defined by Medicare. The list of applicable APCs can be found at the Hospital OPPS webpage.

MMP encourages hospitals to make sure they have sufficient systems in place to identify manufacture credits for replaced devices they are due or have received, and to perform correct billing to report these credits. Remember, the OIG is watching!

Sepsis, Severe Sepsis and Septic Shock

In ICD-10-CM, there are some terminology changes and revisions. An example in Chapter 1 is that the term Sepsis has replaced Septicemia.

Sepsis is a potential life threatening disease in which the body has a reaction to the presence of pathogenic organisms or toxins that have been released in the bloodstream and tissues.

• Also call “blood poisoning”.
• Patients with Sepsis will appear very sick.
• Diagnosis based on clinical signs and symptoms of infection or systemic inflammation and not on location of infection.
• Sepsis can be diagnosed without positive blood cultures especially when the patient has recently been treated with antibiotics.
• Signs and symptoms can be different from person to person.
• Elderly 80 year old female with UTI may have fever, tachycardia with an increase in white blood count
• A 3 year old child with appendicitis may have low body temp and low white count.
• The same signs and symptoms for Sepsis can also be caused by other disorders.

Coders should never code Sepsis based solely on clinical signs and symptoms alone. Provider clarification and documentation is imperative for the correct code assignment.

Note: When coding Sepsis, it is very important to read the Coding Guidelines and to stay abreast with the ever-changing quarterly updates.

Sepsis has 3 stages. Each stage is indicative of a higher level of severity.

1. Sepsis:     Coding Guideline – Section I.C.1.d.1.a.
2. Assign the appropriate code for the underlying systemic infection showing the type of causal organism. Example:   E coli Sepsis - A41.51.
3. Assign code A41.9 for Sepsis without a specified organism documented.
4. Signs and Symptoms – Patient must exhibit at least 2 of the following:
5. Fever above 100.4 or below 95.
6. Heart rate (tachycardia) higher than 90 beats per minute.
7. Respiratory rate higher than 20 breaths per minute or PaCO2<32 mmHg (4.3 kPa)
8. Confirmed or probable infection.
9. Shaking chills.
10. Leukocytosis
11. Greater than 10% immature bands
12. Hemorrhagic skin rash
13. Hypotension
14. The term “Urosepsis” is not to be considered synonymous with “Sepsis”.
15. There will no longer be a default code for Urosepsis.
16. Provider must be queried for clarification on whether the patient has Sepsis and/or UTI.
17. Severe Sepsis:     Coding Guideline – Section I.C.1.d.1.b.
18. Sepsis with an associated acute organ dysfunction/failure.
19. Coding Guideline – Section I.C.1.d.1.a.iv
20. Documentation must indicate that the acute organ dysfunction is associated with the Sepsis.
21. Query provider if documentation does not clearly show whether the acute organ dysfunction is associated to Sepsis or another condition.
22. Requires a minimum of two codes:
23. Code for underlying systemic infection.
24. Following code from subcategory R65.2.
25. Additional code should also be assigned to identify specific acute organ dysfunction/failure.
26. Patient’s usually treated in ICU.
27. Signs and Symptoms – Patient must exhibit at least 2 of the signs/symptoms listed above and at least one of the following:
28. Significant decrease in urine output.
29. Altered mental status (AMS).
30. Decrease in platelet count.
31. Difficulty breathing.
32. Abdominal pain.
33. Acidosis
34. Nausea and vomiting
35. Diarrhea
36. Cold, clammy and pale skin
37. Septic Shock:     Coding Guideline – Section I.C.1.d.2.
38. Severe Sepsis with extreme hypotension lasting for more than one hour without the return to normal pressure following adequate IV fluid infusion or the need for vasopressors/inotropes to maintain blood pressure.
39. Code for the underlying systemic infection should be sequenced first.
40. Assign following code R65.21 – Severe Sepsis with Septic Shock.
41. Severe Sepsis with Septic Shock must be assigned if Septic Shock is documented in the medical record, even if the term Severe Sepsis is not documented.

Sepsis due to a Post-procedural Infection:     Coding Guideline – Section I.C.1.d.5.

• Code assignment is based on provider documentation clarifying a relationship between the infection and the procedure.
• A code for the post-procedure infection should be assigned first – Example:
• T83.51 - Infection and Inflammatory Reaction due to Indwelling Urinary Catheter
• T80.21 – Infection due to Central Venous Catheter
• Appropriate code from subcategory R65.2 should be assigned if patient is diagnosed with Severe Sepsis along with a code to identify the associated acute organ dysfunction.

Patients at Risk

• Elderly
• Very young babies
• Diabetics
• Recently hospitalized and/or recent invasive surgical procedures
• With wounds or injuries, such as burns
• Weakened immune systems secondary to illnesses and/or drug therapy

Common Sources of Infection

• Urinary Catheters
• Surgical incisions
• Open wounds such as pressure ulcers, burns etc.
• Invasive devices such as IV catheters, breathing tubes etc.
• Surgical drains
• Prosthetic devices

Common Body Sites Where Infections May Start – (Examples)

• Bones – (Diabetics with Osteomyelitis)
• Bloodstream
• Intestines – (Diverticulitis, Peritonitis)
• Kidneys – (Urinary Tract Infection, Pyelonephritis)
• Lungs – (Pneumonia)
• Pancreas – (Pancreatitis)
• Skin – (Cellulitis, Pressure Ulcers)

The implementation date of ICD-10-CM/PCS is fast approaching. ICD-10-CM/PCS will require coders to possess an in-depth knowledge and understanding of anatomy & physiology and pathophysiology.   Coders’, who are well-versed on how a body in both the healthy state as well as during the disease process should function, will be better prepared to query providers for clarification when additional documentation is required.  In turn, a coder will be able to make appropriate correlations when reviewing documentation and be able to avoid needless queries.

National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits have been around since 1996 and Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs) since 2007, but do you know what they are, why they were developed, how to read the tables, and when and how to appropriately by-pass these Medicare edits? And more importantly, do you realize these edits impact your reimbursement and compliance risk?

Both sets of edits were developed by CMS to reduce inappropriate payments for Part B claims. NCCI edits are based on coding guidelines, conventions and practices and are designed to prevent improper coding and payment. CCI edits originally applied only to physician billing, but there are now tables for physicians and a subset of edits for hospital providers. There are separate MUE tables for practitioner services, facility outpatient services, and DME supplier services.

The MUE table is straightforward with a column for the CPT/HCPCS code and a column for the MUE limit. An MUE for a HCPCS/CPT code is the maximum units of service that a provider would report under most circumstances for a single beneficiary on a single date of service. Although CMS publishes most MUE values on its website, other MUE values are confidential and are for CMS and CMS Contractors' use only.  

The NCCI table includes code pairs that generally should not be reported together for a number of reasons as explained in the Coding Policy Manual. If both codes of a code-pair edit are reported together for the same date of service by the same provider without an NCCI-modifier, the column 1 code will be paid and the column 2 code will be denied. In addition to the code pair, effective date, and deletion date if applicable, the table includes a modifier indicator that indicates if a modifier is allowed to by-pass the CCI edit when appropriate. An indicator of “1” means a modifier is allowed, “0” means a modifier is not allowed to by-pass the edit and “9” is not applicable (canceled edits).

NCCI edits and MUEs are updated quarterly. The latest versions of the edits are available on Medicare’s NCCI webpage. Also, Medicare publishes the revisions for the quarter for both CCI edits and MUEs.   The MUE updates include additions, deletions, and revisions to the MUE quantity. The CCI edits include additions, deletions and revisions to the modifier indicator.

Tips on Dealing with the Edits

• First and foremost, modifiers should only be used to by-pass the edits when it is appropriate to do so.
• Modifiers are allowed for CCI edits when separate procedures are performed, such as a separate encounter, separate anatomic sites, or separate specimens. Modifiers are appended to the column 2 code of a code pair.
• For MUEs a modifier would be appropriate when the quantity performed exceeds the MUE limit. Separate line items must be reported on the claim so that no single line item quantity exceeds the MUE limit. Modifiers are added to the second and additional line items.
• There are “date of service” MUEs that cannot be bypassed with a modifier. All units of a code with a date of service MUE are denied if the quantity for that date exceeds the MUE limit.
• Acceptable modifiers to by-pass edits include anatomic modifiers: E1-E4, FA, F1-F9, TA, T1-T9, LT, RT, LC, LD, RC, LM, RI; global surgery modifiers: 24, 25, 57, 58, 78, 79; and other modifiers: 27, 59, 91.
• Refer to the NCCI Policy Manual for a better understanding of the edits and their reasoning. There is a general chapter and then chapters for each CPT/HCPCS code group (such as codes 80000-89999). This manual contains valuable information about correct coding and the edit principals.
• Coders generally apply modifiers for surgical codes when appropriate, but ancillary code pairs may not be identified until processing through facility billing systems. Input from the ancillary department is often necessary to know if it is appropriate to append a modifier to by-pass the code-pair edit. Hospital billers should have a system in place and contact people in the ancillary areas to assist with CCI edits.

NCCI edits and MUEs apply to Medicare and Medicaid claims. Some other payers may also expect providers to follow the edits. MMP recommends you check with payers to determine if they follow these edits or perhaps have some “coding” edits of their own.

This month MMP will focus on some of the important changes and guidelines covering Chapter One “Certain Infectious and Parasitic Diseases”.

Chapter 1 is divided into 22 separate blocks covering two alpha characters A00-B99 and includes:

• Diseases generally recognized as communicable or transmissible as well as a few diseases of unknown but possibly infectious origin.

Type I Excludes:

• Certain localized infections – refer to body system related chapters.
• Influenza and other acute respiratory infections (J00-J22)

Type 2 Excludes:

• Carrier or suspected carrier of infectious disease (Z22.-)

A separate subchapter was created for “Infections with a Predominantly Sexual Mode of Transmission” (A50-A64) to appropriately group these type diseases together:

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is excluded in this range of codes.

For cases with infections shown to have an associated drug resistance, code Z16 should be assigned in addition to the infection code to show the associated drug resistance.                      

• Coding Guideline I.C 1.c. – Infections Resistant to Antibiotics:  Many bacterial infections are resistant to current antibiotics. It is necessary to identify all infections documented as antibiotic resistant.

Streptococcal Sore Throat has been relocated from Chapter 1 to Chapter 10 – Diseases of the Respiratory System.

Tuberculosis (TB):  

• ICD-10-CM will not ask for information denoting how the disease was identified.
• The codes for Tuberculosis have been restructured and consolidated. Assignment is now based on anatomical site or type.

Intestinal Infections:

• Codes will now identify type of infection.
• Viral
• Bacterial
• Fungal or parasitic/amebic
• Options available for “Other “ and “Unspecified”

Categories B95.0-B99.9 are supplementary codes to identify the infectious agent(s) in diseases classified elsewhere in which there is no organism identified as part of the infection code.

• Refer to Coding Guideline I.C.1.b.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infections

HIV is the virus that can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome).   People with this illness are much more vulnerable to infections due to the attack and alteration to their immune system. This is prone to get worse as the disease progresses. The human body is not capable of fighting off this virus. Once a person is infected with HIV, it is an affliction for the rest of their life.

HIV is found in the body fluids of an infected person and can be transmitted:

• From one person to another through blood-to-blood and/or sexual contact.
• Newborn infants can acquire HIV:
• During pregnancy
• Through delivery
• Through breast feeding
• Blood transfusion
• Sharing hypodermic needles

There is a subcategory and four codes to classify the HIV virus in ICD-10-CM.

B20 - Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) disease

Assign code B20 as the principal diagnosis when a patient is admitted with an HIV-related condition. An additional diagnosis code should be used to identify all reported manifestations of HIV infection.

• Refer to Coding Guideline I.C.1.a.2.a.
• Code only confirmed cases of HIV infection.
• Confirmation does not require a positive serology or culture for HIV. The physician’s diagnostic statement is sufficient.
• Refer to Coding Guideline I.C. 1.a.1.
• People with HIV can acquire many infections that are called “Opportunistic Infections” or OIs.

Includes:

• Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
• AIDS-related Complex (ARC)
• HIV Infection, Symptomatic

Excludes Type 1:

• Asymptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection Status (Z21)
• Exposure to HIV virus (Z20.6)
• Inconclusive Serologic Evidence of HIV (R75)

Z21 - Asymptomatic Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection Status

Code Z21 is used for reporting a patient diagnosed with a positive HIV status but has never been diagnosed with any type of manifestation or OI.

• Includes HIV positive NOS
• Once a patient has developed an HIV-related OI, the patient should always be assigned code B20 for any future admission/encounter.
• Code Z21 should never be assigned again for a patient diagnosed with HIV/AIDS even if there is no infection or HIV related condition during that present admission.
• Codes B20 and Z21 should never be assigned together during the same admission.

R75 - Inconclusive laboratory evidence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

• An inconclusive serology test, but no definitive diagnosis or manifestation of the HIV infection.

Z20.6 - Exposure to HIV Virus

This code is assigned only when a patient has been exposed or may have come in contact with the HIV virus.

Some Common HIV Infections:   (this list is not all or inclusive)

• Pneumocystis pneumonia (PCP) - Serious infection which causes inflammation and fluid buildup in the lungs.
• Cytomegalovirus - An opportunistic infection which takes advantage of a patient’s weakened immune system.
• Tuberculosis (TB) - Leading cause of death for people infected with HIV.
• Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC) - Usually happens only after a patient has been diagnosed with AIDS and when their CD4 cell counts drop below 50.
• Dementia - AIDS dementia is caused by the HIV virus itself, not by the opportunistic infections.
• AIDS Wasting Syndrome - Occurs when a patient with AIDS has lost at least 10% of their body weight -- especially muscle. The patient could experience at least 30 days of diarrhea, extreme weakness and fever that's not related to an infection.
• Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma - As a result of a weakened immune system, a patient is prone to develop certain cancers.
• Lipodystrophy - Also known as “fat redistribution”.   This is when the body has problems in the way it produces, uses, and stores fat.
• Kaposi’s Sarcoma (KS) - Type of cancer affecting mainly the skin, mouth, and lymph nodes (infection-fighting glands). Other organs such as the lungs and gastrointestinal tract can be affected as well.

A list of Meds currently available in the US

‍Note: When coding the HIV Disease and Sepsis, it is very important to read and familiarize yourself with the Coding Guidelines. 

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently released the report Medicare Incorrectly Paid Hospitals for Beneficiaries Who Had Not Received 96 or More Hours of Mechanical Ventilation. In fact, the report indicates that in the calendar years 2009 – 2011, Medicare overpaid hospitals $7.7 million.

Background

The OIG has done prior hospital compliance reviews of claims with MS-DRGs requiring 96 or more hours of mechanical ventilation. In past reviews the OIG found erroneous claims and as such this review was performed to determine whether payments made to hospitals for MS-DRGs requiring 96 or more hours of mechanical ventilation were correct. Hospitals use procedure code 96.72 (Continuous invasive mechanical ventilation for 96 consecutive hours or more) to identify these patients. This review focused specifically on two MS-DRGs:

• MS-DRG 207: Respiratory System Diagnosis with Ventilator Support 96+ Hours and
• MS-DRG 870: Septicemia or Severe Sepsis with Mechanical Ventilation 96+ Hours.

Audit by the Numbers

• $12,764,239: The amount of Medicare Part A payments covered in this audit.
• 290: The number of hospitals included in this audit.
• 377: The number of inpatient claims that were selected as at risk for billing errors.
• 4 days or less: This audit reviewed claims where the length of stay was 4 days or less.
• 14: The number of records where the Medicare payment was correct.
• 363: The number of records where the Medicare payment was incorrect due to the beneficiary not receiving 96 or more hours of mechanical ventilation.
• $7,714,825: The overpayments made by Medicare to the hospitals

As part of the audit process the OIG had the hospitals conduct an internal review of the claims to determine if the services had been billed correctly. The OIG also requested that the hospital provide them with the “itemized bills and medical record documentation, including timelog for the mechanical ventilation and summary of the inpatient stay to determine whether the beneficiaries had received 96 or more hours of mechanical ventilation.”

The report indicates that “the hospitals confirmed that these claims were incorrectly billed and generally attributed the errors to incorrectly counting the number of hours that beneficiaries had received mechanical ventilation or to clerical errors in selecting the appropriate procedure code.”

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Response and Action Plan

The OIG found that CMS did not have controls in place to identify the incorrectly paid claims. Since this review, CMS “implemented a new length-of-stay edit for continuous invasive mechanical ventilation for 96 consecutive hours or more. With this edit, effective October 1, 2012, claims found to have procedure code 96.72 and a length of stay fewer than 4 days are returned to the provider for validation and resubmission.”

Is Correct Coding of Ventilator Hours still on the Radar?

Since this review focused on 2009 through 2011 calendar year claims and an edit was put in place as a control to identify incorrectly paid claims, you may be thinking that this should no longer be an issue. However, other Contractors continue to review and or monitor correct coding of ventilator hours. Before we walk through a timeline of who is reviewing this issue it is important to note that most reviewers have expanded their efforts beyond MS-DRGs 207 and 870 to also include the following MS-DRGs:

• MS-DRG 003: Ecmo or Tracheostomy with Mechanical Ventilation 96+ Hours or Principal Diagnosis Except Face, Mouth and Neck with Major O.R.
• MS-DRG 004: Tracheostomy with Mechanical Ventilation 96+ Hours or Principal Diagnosis Except Face, Mouth and Neck without Major O.R.
• MS-DRG 927:Extensive Burns or Full Thickness Burns with Mechanical Ventilation 96+ Hours with Skin Graft
• MS-DRG 933: Extensive Burns or Full Thickness Burns with Mechanical Ventilation 96+ Hours without Skin Graft

Timeline of Review Efforts around Correct Coding of Ventilator Hours:

• Medicare Quarterly Compliance Newsletter October 2011: In the Volume 2, Issue 1 - October 2011 newsletter the CMS reported that Recovery Auditors reviewed MS-DRGs 003, 004, 207, 870, 927 and 933 due to Providers not adding the correct number of Ventilator hours during an inpatient admission. This Newsletter provides examples of their findings and education resources for hospitals.

• Cahaba GBA, the Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC) for Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee completed a widespread probe review of MS-DRG 270 and posted the findings to their website on November 14, 2011. Their focus was on coding accuracy and medical necessity for acute inpatient hospitalization. One issue identified was that “documentation did not confirm 96 consecutive hours on ventilator support.” They took no further action as a result of this review but continue to monitor utilization through data analysis to see if further reviews are needed.

• The Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER) is now into their 12th Edition of the Short-Term Acute Care Hospitalizations Users Guide. Ventilator Support has been an at risk target since their 6th Edition Users Guide. Internally, providers can view their report to see if they are an outlier and follow the audit recommendations in the report.

• In the 2013 OIG Work Plan, the OIG indicated that “We will review Medicare payments for mechanical ventilation to determine whether the DRG assignments and resultant payments were appropriate. We will review selected Medicare payments to determine whether patients received fewer than 96 hours of mechanical ventilation. Mechanical ventilation is the use of a ventilator or respirator to take over active breathing for a patient. CMS requires that claims be completed accurately to be processed correctly and promptly. For certain DRG payments to qualify for Medicare coverage, a patient must receive 96 or more hours of mechanical ventilation.”

As you can see this is certainly not a new issue and hospitals need to remain vigilant in their efforts to correctly code ventilator hours.

The hardest part of Medicare’s new guidance is understanding all of the details and nuances of the rules. For example, there were some surprising guidelines in the temporary instructions for the implementation of the final rule for Part A to B billing of denied hospital inpatient claims that could have a financial impact on hospitals. Drug administrations and nebulizer treatments are some of the more frequent Part B services provided to inpatients and now Medicare is saying these services are not billable on a Part B inpatient claim. I understand these services are included in the room and board charge for inpatients, but how is a hospital to recoup the cost of these services when billing under Part B if these services are not separately billable and there is no inpatient Part A payment?

The temporary instructions were published September 16th in MLN Matters article (SE1333).   A lot of the guidance in this article simply reaffirms the instructions from the final rule. MMP presented that information several weeks ago in an article titled “If ‘A’ Doesn’t Work, Try ‘B’”. 

As a reminder, the basic rule for admissions on or after October 1, 2013 is:

“When an inpatient admission is found to be not reasonable and necessary, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will allow payment of all hospital services that were furnished and would have been reasonable and necessary if the beneficiary had been treated as an outpatient, rather than admitted to the hospital as an inpatient, except for those services that specifically require an outpatient status such as outpatient visits, emergency department visits, and observation services, that are, by definition, provided to hospital outpatients and not inpatients.”

So this week, I would like to point out a few items from the temporary instructions that are new or clarified guidance.

• One of the most significant clarifications concerns the billing of infusions and injections and nebulizer treatments on the Part B inpatient claim. The article clarifies that routine services generally captured in the room and board rate are not separately billable Inpatient Part B services. This includes IV infusions and injections, blood administrations, and nebulizer treatments provided by the floor nurse.
• In the case of UR self-audit determination that the stay was not medically necessary, the hospital must submit a no-pay, provider liable Part A claim and receive a denial before submitting the Part B inpatient claim (12x type of bill). Provider liability is indicated by the inclusion of Occurrence Span Code “M1” and the inpatient admission Dates of Service on the no-pay inpatient claim. If a Part A claim for payment has already been submitted, the hospital must cancel that claim, submit the no-pay claim, and receive a denial prior to billing Part B.
• Services provided prior to the admission order are billed on a 13x outpatient claim; services provided after the admission order are billed on the 12x Part B inpatient claim. This means “inpatient-only” services (such as procedures on the inpatient only list) provided prior to the admission may not be reported on the inpatient claim even though they are not payable on the outpatient claim. Also if observation services are continued after the admission order is written, they are not billable on the inpatient claim since they are exclusively “outpatient” services.
• The article includes a listing of revenue codes not covered under inpatient Part B medical necessity denials. However, note that when a revenue code can be sometimes covered and sometimes not covered, providers should use the HCPCS code to determine if the service is covered.
• The article encourages providers to remember the medical necessity requirements for outpatient services, specifically those outlined in local coverage determinations (LCDs), and to include all diagnosis codes to support these medical necessity requirements on both the Part B inpatient and outpatient claims.
• Billing of limited Part B services still applies when there is no Part A payment because the beneficiary is not entitled to Part A benefits or has exhausted Part A benefits.

Please refer to the article for complete information including the specific claim requirements for the Part A provider liable claim and the Part B inpatient claim.