tci Part B Insider - 2006 Issue 13

DIAGNOSIS CODING: Keep Track Of Diagnoses That Change During Hospital Stays

Educate  your physician to keep you in the loop on patients' developmentJust because a patient enters the hospital with one diagnosis doesn't mean she'll have that diagnosis for her entire stay. And if you bill for your physician's hospital visits with an out-of-date diagnosis, you could lose money or face fraud charges. The problem: Diagnoses can change in the hospital because:• The physician may narrow down the patient's problem. For example, a patient may be admitted with chest pain, and the doctor may rule out myocardial infarction and decide the problem is gastrointestinal, says Pat Larabee, a coding...

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