What does ICD stand for?
What is International Classification of Diseases.
This term describes the relaxation phase of the heartbeat, when the heart chambers fill with blood between contractions.
What is diastole?
This acronym stands for the coding system used to identify healthcare procedures, supplies, products, and services.
What is HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System)?
Used in Medicare Advantage and risk adjustment models, this acronym refers to categories of diagnoses that help predict a patient's future healthcare costs.
What is HCC (Hierarchical Condition Category)?
This surgical procedure removes the gallbladder, often due to gallstones or cholecystitis.
What is a cholecystectomy?
What is 3 to 7 characters.
Containing the upper, middle, and lower lobes, this lung has one more lobe than its counterpart.
What is the right lung?
In medical terminology, this prefix means rapid or fast and is commonly used in terms describing an increased rate or speed.
What is tachy-?
To ensure an HCC is captured for risk adjustment during a payment year, providers must document and address a patient's chronic condition, such as Type 2 diabetes, at least this often.
What is once per calendar year?
This section of the operative report describes why a surgical procedure was medically necessary.
What is the preoperative diagnosis?
This ICD-10-CM diagnosis code, effective October 1, 2026, represents a carbuncle of the flank.
What is L02.237?
These three sections make up the small intestine and are responsible for most digestion and nutrient absorption.
What are the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum?
In medical terminology, this prefix means below normal, deficient, decreased, or under.
What is hypo-?
To accurately capture the HCC for a patient with Type 2 diabetes and diabetic polyneuropathy, coding guidelines require the diabetes and neuropathy to be reported using a code that identifies this type of linked diabetic complication.
What is Type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic polyneuropathy (E11.42)?
A surgeon documents extensive lysis of adhesions requiring substantially greater effort than usual. This modifier may be appended to the procedure code to indicate increased procedural services.
What is Modifier 22?
This ICD-10-CM diagnosis code, deleted effective October 1, 2026, represents a sprain of the sternoclaviculcular (joint) (ligament).
What is S23.420?
In medical terminology, this suffix means an abnormal narrowing or constriction of a body passage or opening.
What is -stenosis?
According to CPT, these reporting tools indicate that a service or procedure has been altered by a specific circumstance without changing its definition or code, and they help healthcare professionals comply with payer payment policies.
What are modifiers?
This type of single ICD-10-CM code is used to fully report a specific condition plus an associated secondary process or complication.
What is a combination code?
A surgeon performs a laparoscopic procedure but converts to an open procedure due to extensive adhesions. According to coding guidelines, only this approach is typically reported.
What is the open procedure?
This famous, highly specific external cause code describes a pedestrian who suffered an impact after "walking into [a] lamppost."
What is W22.02XA (Struck by lamppost, initial encounter)?
Also known as a prolapsed bladder, this condition results from weakening of the anterior vaginal wall and pelvic floor support.
What is cystocele?
This punctuation mark or symbol in the CPT manual designates a new procedure code added to the current edition.
What is a solid bullet point?
When a patient presents with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the ICD-10-CM guidelines dictate using this specific combination code rather than two separate codes.
What is J44.1?
When two surgeons work together as primary surgeons performing distinct portions of the same procedure, CPT directs use of this modifier.
What is modifier 62?