Posts by Norwood Staffing
Mission-Driven Medicine: Dr. Pablo Buitron de la Vega’s SDOH crusade, from capture to care
Listen to the episode here. Social Determinants of Health, or SDOH, are a buzzword these days—but often little more. We acknowledge their importance, but actual progress on capture (and subsequent patient support) has been slow. To be fair real barriers including technological limitations and limited financial incentives stand in the way. But my current…
Read MoreWhat is the obligation of a Medicare Advantage plan? Shareholder value, or patient health?
By Brian Murphy What is the obligation of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans? Maximizing shareholder value? Or, keeping members healthy? It’s both … but ultimately the latter, I believe. YMMV. Recently I stated that UnitedHealth and other MA organizations bear responsibility in keeping their members healthy. A healthcare executive disagreed: “Is State Farm responsible for keeping…
Read MoreOutpatient CDI clinical scenario: What’s your next move?
By Joanne Wilson, RN, ADN, CCDS For this month’s CDI suggestion I wanted to offer up a clinical scenario for your consideration. I do encourage you to read it, and think about what you’d do. My suggestion follows. A patient is scheduled for an appointment with their provider in 96 hours. As a prospective OP…
Read MorePrepare for April 1 OCG changes to COVID-19, obesity, and sepsis
By Brian Murphy An update to the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (OCG) is out. These changes take effect April 1. I’ve provided the link below. The following three changes are of particular importance to CDI and coding professionals. I recommend reviewing the entire document which won’t take long; as a reminder, the…
Read MoreCracking the Code: Victoria Vo’s Path to Entrepreneur, Social Media Stardom
Listen to the episode here. I’ve been in the coding and CDI worlds since 2004, and in that time watched the rise of Facebook, YouTube and other social media. And as early 2011 or so I began to wonder, will anyone pair these two together? When will see our first social media creator in…
Read MoreRigorous patient scheduling critical to success in a risk adjustment environment
By Jason Jobes, SVP, Solutions Best Practice Tip: On January 1st of every year identify what percentage of your patients’ risk-based contracts have a scheduled PCP appointment. As full implementation of V28 of CMS-HCCs looms larger, I want to share a best practice I discuss with our partners. What percent of your patients have their…
Read MoreWhat responsibilities does a CDI specialist or IP coder possess in an AI-enabled environment? A look at some pros and cons
By Brian Murphy What does it mean to work as a clinical documentation integrity (CDI) or inpatient coder in a high-tech, AI-enabled environment? I got a glimpse of the future (for some, the present) this week while attending the ACDIS Virtual Symposium. And jotted down a few pros/cons as I see them, from the perspective…
Read MoreWant to be a better CDI or coding professional? You must read the chart
By Brian Murphy You’ve got to read. Whether it’s a blog post, a book, or in the case of the professions I serve, the patient’s chart. Reading results in comprehension and eventually, understanding. It takes time, but it’s time well-spent. I believe very strongly in this, which is why in my ACDIS…
Read MoreOne More Round: Sheila Duhon’s Unexpected Return to CDI Leadership
Listen to the episode here. Even if you’ve never seen The Godfather, you’ve probably heard its iconic line: “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!” That certainly applies to Sheila Duhon, National Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity for Steward Health Care. A year ago Sheila was headed toward semi-retirement,…
Read MoreUnitedHealth’s billing practices draw DOJ investigation, Wall Street Journal coverage
By Jason Jobes, SVP, Solutions DOJ ALERT: The Wall Street Journal is reporting that UHC is under investigation for Medicare Advantage (MA) billing practices. Why, and what should you know? Thanks for reading Mid-Revenue Cycle Minute. Don’t forget to follow me on LinkedIn where I share content like this regularly. The WSJ…
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