Talk Ten Tuesdays

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 o...

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...

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 ...

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...

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.

Duri...

The revenue cycle can be thought of as a machine that keeps churning nonstop, making everything work, financially speaking, for your hospital.

But even the most well-oiled machinery can get clogged, meaning it doesn’t perform at its peak. And that is why the producers of ICD10monitor and Talk Ten Tuesdays have invited Jessica Miller-Dobbs to join the popular Internet broadcast as its special guest for some shop talk.

Jessica is the D...

Payer edits and denials are pervasive in healthcare reimbursement.

These problems typically arise from coding inaccuracies, insufficient documentation, or non-compliance with payer-specific guidelines. These challenges can lead to revenue loss, increased administrative burden, and frustration among healthcare providers.

A skilled coding staff plays a vital role in mitigating these issues. Proactive identification of potential red fla...

Custodial and social hospitalizations have long been a hospital challenge.

From inadequate patient support and services to medically unwarranted occupancy of inpatient beds, plus lack of payment for provision of care, prevention and management of these cases continues to be an issue.

While much has been discussed about how to proceed, many hospitals fail.
And that is why the producers of ICD10monitor and Talk Ten Tuesda...

In today’s healthcare environment, America’s hospitals are experiencing increases in payer denials as a result of incorrect application of drug HCPCS units and a drug HCPCS modifier (JW/JZ).

These denials have increased costs for providers, because the existing staff is either being redirected to spend more time on the issue or additional staff are being hired to resolve the drug charge denials. Healthcare industry professionals nee...

Effective communication is a critical skill in navigating clinical and non-clinical interactions to avoid disaster striking a facility’s bottom line.

In fact, poor communication directly impacts the bottom line. Today, amid a cacophony of competing and complex issues spanning generations and a range of viewpoints, there is an overarching need to foster collaboration.

During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, Lorie Mills, dire...

World Health Day, which will be officially observed on Monday, April 7, will mark what organizers claim will be a year-long celebration. Here at ICD10monitor and Talk Ten Tuesdays, we will celebrate a bit early, during the next edition of the Talk Ten Tuesdays live Internet broadcast.

Headlining the broadcast will be Lorraine Fernandes, immediate past president and communications chair of the International Health Information Managem...

National Doctors’ Day is Sunday, March 30. Even though the national one-day observance is only a few days away, the ICD10monitor producers of Talk Ten Tuesdays want to ensure that everyone is aware of the significant contributions made daily by America’s doctors. Hence, our recognition of the occasion will continue during the next live edition of the popular weekly Internet broadcast.

As part of the celebration, physician and attorn...

Time is money. And nowhere is that adage more relevant than in today’s American hospitals.

For example, consider the patient who is medically ready for discharge, but still waiting for a skilled nursing facility (SNF) bed to open up. Or the case in which a patient might medically require a cardiac catheterization before being safely cleared to discharge to home, but there’s a delay until the procedure can be performed on Monday.

So, ...

Overwhelmed by nutrition advice?

You’re not alone.

From sketchy influencer “secrets” to Big Food’s algorithm-driven traps, a myriad of pitfalls means making healthy choices has never been harder.

Questions abound: should you go all-in on the potato diet? Or embrace the all-meat life? (Spoiler: probably not.)

This week, during the long-running and popular Talk Ten Tuesdays Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, Dr. Nick van Terhey...

Overwhelmed by nutrition advice?

You’re not alone.

From sketchy influencer “secrets” to Big Food’s algorithm-driven traps, a myriad of pitfalls means making healthy choices has never been harder.

Questions abound: should you go all-in on the potato diet? Or embrace the all-meat life? (Spoiler: probably not.)

This week, during the long-running and popular Talk Ten Tuesdays Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, Dr. Nick van Terhey...

Overwhelmed by nutrition advice?

You’re not alone.

From sketchy influencer “secrets” to Big Food’s algorithm-driven traps, a myriad of pitfalls means making healthy choices has never been harder.

Questions abound: should you go all-in on the potato diet? Or embrace the all-meat life? (Spoiler: probably not.)

This week, during the long-running and popular Talk Ten Tuesdays Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, Dr. Nick van Terhey...

Discharge orders have evolved. Today, they indicate the end of hospital billing for an encounter.
However, when the discharge order is placed on a day other than the day a patient actually leaves the hospital, it can often lead to under-reporting the patient’s length of stay (LOS) and other issues. And when some clinicians are told to place such an order when patients are medically ready to leave – even if there is no safe disc...

Could generative artificial intelligence (AI) revolutionize healthcare, or is it just a risky trend?
During the next must-see live broadcast of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Dr. Christopher Boyle will walk you through the potential and pitfalls of generative AI. His journey will take you on an exploration of three promising uses of AI that focus on safety, documentation, and coding accuracy. You’ll learn how you can balance the benefits o...

When a law enforcement officer comes to your facility, what do you need to know? And what should you do?

While until recently, this topic was seldom on the top of lists of
healthcare issues, a recent move by the Trump Administration (Executive Order) appears to have revoked a longstanding policy that prevented federal law enforcement agents (U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement) from going to certain areas long considered saf...