Sharon Goff

Hello beautiful souls,

So, it is October, and I am feeling in the mood for the holidays. Some years have not been that way, and I’d sooner have stabbed my own hand than have to go through the holidays (due to personal emotional reasons, that is).

But lately I have just been in a festive mood. I’ve bought scarecrows and pumpkins for Fall and I’ve bought a new Christmas Tree at Hobby Lobby while they are priced at half off. Next, I think I may buy these stringed little Jack-O-Lantern lights from Target for Halloween.

Hell, I’m even ready for Christmas cookies and Hallmark Christmas movies which I love!

Now that my wounds from the past are turning more into scars, I’m dabbling a little bit again into the hopeless romantic part of myself a little more and Hallmark movies fit that bill.

I am a medical biller and coder by day and so I am constantly coding things for billing out claims to insurance companies. If you aren’t too familiar, every time we go to the doctor, every single procedure has its own ICD-10 diagnosis code and a CPT procedural code. The codes are how the insurance companies see what the claims are about and what they will or won’t pay for according to each person’s contract.

I said all that to say this. When I was going to school for Medical Billing and Coding, I was introduced to this really cute version of the Christmas story called “Twas the Night Before Christmas- ICD-10 Style’.

It has many lines that relate to similar coding descriptions in our coding books. For a quick example: ‘W53.01XA Bitten by mouse, initial encounter’, is a diagnosis code that will get put onto the medical claim when a patient has been bitten by a mouse and the ‘initial encounter’ means for the first time.

It’s just something fun to read. I have copied and pasted it here for your enjoyment!

One more thing, if you are someone who is experiencing deep loneliness during the upcoming holidays (or at any time), please reach out to me through email with a letter at beautifulsouls859@gmail.com. I know how difficult it can be to feel loneliness…especially during all the holidays. If you email me, I will answer you back.

Here's that article.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas – ICD-10 Style

Happy Holidays to all. In this issue, we’re telling our usual holiday story — with an ICD-10 twist, of course!
The following is shared by Annie Boynton BS, RHIT, CPC, COC, CPCO, CPC-P, CPC-I, one of our ICD-10 expert trainers. Enjoy!
Article by: Brad Ericson, December 5, 2014, aapc.com.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house, Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
W53.01XA Bitten by mouse, initial encounter
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
X06.2XXA Exposure to ignition of other clothing and apparel, initial encounter
The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
Y93.84 Activity, sleeping
Y92.013 Bedroom of single-family (private) house as the place of occurrence of the external cause
And mamma in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,
W93.2XXA Prolonged exposure in deep freeze unit or refrigerator, initial encounter
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
W42.9XXA Exposure to other noise, initial encounter
W06.XXXA Fall from bed, initial encounter
Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
W13.4XXA Fall from, out of or through window, initial encounter
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
Y93.H1 Activity, digging, shoveling and raking
X37.2XXA Blizzard (snow) (ice), initial encounter
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
Z01.01 Encounter for examination of eyes and vision with abnormal findings
R44.1 Visual hallucinations
With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
R54 Age-related physical debility
F22 Delusional disorders
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
R49.8 Other voice and resonance disorders
R49.9 Unspecified voice and resonance disorder
“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
W55.39XA Other contact with other hoof stock, initial encounter
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”
V97.0 Occupant of aircraft injured in other specified air transport accidents
W13.0XXA Fall from, out of or through balcony, initial encounter
W22.01XA Walked into wall, initial encounter
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
X37.0XXA Hurricane, initial encounter
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
Y93.29 Activity, other involving ice and snow
V96.8XXA Other nonpowered-aircraft accidents injuring occupant, initial encounter
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
W13.2XXA Fall from, out of or through roof, initial encounter
W55.32XA   Struck by other hoof stock, initial encounter
As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
X02.0XXA Exposure to flames in controlled fire in building or structure (fireplace), initial encounter
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
Y93.E9 Activity, other interior property and clothing maintenance
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
Z59.0 Homelessness
Z59.1 Inadequate housing
His eyes — how they twinkled! His dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
L71.8 Other rosacea
L71.9 Rosacea, unspecified
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
L67.1 Variations in hair color
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
Z72.0 Tobacco use
Z57.31 Occupational exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
F17.290 Nicotine dependence, other tobacco product, uncomplicated
He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
E66.3 Overweight
Z72.3 Lack of physical exercise
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
R29.890 Loss of height
E66.09 Other obesity due to excess calories
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
H02.043 Spastic entropion of right eye, unspecified eyelid
H02.146 Spastic ectropion of left eye, unspecified eyelid
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
R49.1 Aphonia (Loss of Speech)
Z56.5 Uncongenial work environment
Z56.3 Stressful work schedule
Z56.6 Other physical and mental strain related to work
G47.26 Circadian rhythm sleep disorder, shift work type
And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
V00.221A Fall from sled, initial encounter
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
W94.29XA Exposure to other rapid changes in air pressure during ascent, initial encounter
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”