Talk Ten Tuesdays

Latest Episodes:

New Coding Challenges for Reporting Gender-Affirming Care Jul 01, 2025

Show notes

As state laws, federal regulations, and insurance policies continue to evolve, healthcare organizations face growing demands to ensure that gender-affirming care is appropriately documented and reported.

Reporting on these serious coding challenges and the dire consequences of failing to achieve compliance during the next edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays will be senior healthcare consultant Penny Jefferson, the special guest for the broadcast coming up at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, July 1.

The popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

Is there a Code for Probiotic Dispensers? Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

Your pets might be doing more than just keeping you company. They could be reshaping your immune system.

Early exposure to pets, especially in childhood, may reduce allergies and asthma by diversifying gut bacteria and strengthening immunity, according to Dr. Nick van Terheyden, director of Incremental Health. Dr. Nick is scheduled to be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, coming up at 10 a.m. EST on Tuesday, June 24.

The popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

Could Physician Advisors Become Dinosaurs? Jun 17, 2025

Show notes

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 only a fraction of physician advisors employed as full-time employees?

During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, Juliet B. Ugarte Hopkins, MD, Medical Director of Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the pitfalls of inadvertently diluting the physician advisor’s focus and level of expertise.

The popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of clinical documentation integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• Field Report: Dennis Jones, a veteran Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays contributing editor, will report on the latest developments regarding the revenue cycle. Jones is the senior director of revenue cycle at Jefferson Health;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

• Point of View: Dr. Kennedy will report on his efforts to advocate for a change in the definition of sepsis. Dr. Kennedy will be sitting in for Angela Comfort, who continues as the co-host for the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast.

Five Key Takeaways from CHIA Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

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 takeaways from the annual conference.

During the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, coming up at 10 a.m. EST on June 10, the popular Internet broadcast will feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of CDI for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• Field Report: Dennis Jones, a veteran Monitor Mondays and Talk Ten Tuesdays contributing editor, will report on the latest developments regarding the revenue cycle. Jones is the administrator of the revenue cycle at Jefferson Health;

The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

Join Us Live from CHIA Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

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 California.

As a longtime editorial contributor to RACmonitor and ICD10monitor, Dr. Kennedy, will be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, coming up at 10 a.m. EST on June 3. The Internet broadcast, produced by ICD10monitor, is expected to feature the additional following instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

•Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;

•CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of CDI for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

•The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

•News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

•MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the Assistant Vice President of Revenue Integrity for Montefiore Health.

A Puzzling Departure May 20, 2025

Show notes

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 force related to revenue cycle, provider staffing, utilization, and managed and commercial health insurance plans – seems to have rattled many in America’s sprawling health delivery system. So, how could these recent events affect other hospitals and health systems?

During the next live edition of the popular Talk Ten Tuesdays, the Internet broadcast produced by ICD10monitor, Dr. Juliet Ugarte Hopkins will share what she thinks of what might lie ahead. Dr. Ugarte Hopkins is the medical director for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc. and the Immediate Past President of the American College of Physician Advisors.

Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH;

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates;

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news;

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk; and

Looking for the Disconnect Impacting Compliance and Reimbursement May 13, 2025

Show notes

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.

During the next edition of the weekly broadcast, Manser is also expected to highlight common errors, such as coding suggestive findings as definitive diagnoses, and provide practical guidance on bridging the gap between documentation and compliance.
Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

Jumpstart Your Revenue Cycle: Get Your Motor Running May 06, 2025

Show notes

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 Director of Health Information Management (HIM) and Revenue Cycle for Datavant. She is scheduled to appear during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesdays, 10 a.m. Eastern on May 6, for a refreshingly new approach in learning how to get your revenue cycle humming.

Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

• MyTalk: Angela Comfort, veteran healthcare subject-matter expert, will co-host the long-running and popular weekly Internet broadcast. Comfort is the assistant vice president of revenue integrity for Montefiore Health.

How Coders and CDISs Can Help Avoid Payer Edits and Denials Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

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 flags at the time of coding can decrease the number of edits and denials being returned from the payer.

Join our special guest Lorie Mills, director of health information services for Primeau Consulting Group, during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday, April 29, 10 Eastern for a refreshingly new approach to understanding how and what smart coding can do to avoid these expensive and frustrating issues.

Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.

• The Coding Report: Substituting for Christine Geiger will be Amy Jo Combs, Senior Coding Compliance Consultant for First Class Solutions. She will discuss the significant difference between “History of” and “in remission” when reporting leukemia.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

How to Unfriend Hospital Social Stays Apr 22, 2025

Show notes

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 Tuesday have invited Dr. Juliet B. Ugarte Hopkins to be the special guest during the next live edition of Talk Ten Tuesday.

Dr. Ugarte Hopkins is the medical director for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc. and immediate past president of the American College of Physician Advisors. Dr. Ugarte Hopkins will report on this developing crisis

Also part of the live broadcast will be these instantly recognizable panelists, who will report more news during their segments:

• Social Determinants of Health: Tiffany Ferguson, CEO for Phoenix Medical Management, Inc., will report on the news that is happening at the intersection of medical record auditing and the SDoH.

• CDI Report: Cheryl Ericson, Director of Clinical Documentation Integrity (CDI) for the vaunted Brundage Group, will have the latest CDI updates.

• The Coding Report: Christine Geiger, Assistant Vice President of Acute and Post-Acute Coding Services for First Class Solutions, will report on the latest coding news.

• News Desk: Timothy Powell, ICD10monitor national correspondent, will anchor the Talk Ten Tuesdays News Desk.

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