Facing compliance challenges in the new 2018 MS-DRGs

Why This Topic Matters

FY 2018 rule and guideline changes can affect how inpatient cases group, which diagnoses are recognized in severity-level logic, and what documentation is needed for compliant code assignment. Understanding these topics helps teams review records consistently and prepare for evolving MS-DRG and CC/MCC policy changes.

Article Sections

1. tPA given in the setting of acute brain ischemia

   Discusses stroke-related inpatient admissions, documentation considerations, and FY 2018 MS-DRG updates involving tPA-treated cases. Also addresses the broader issue of stroke-mimicking conditions in the coding and compliance context.

2. Excisional debridements of skin—external approach

   Reviews FY 2018 changes affecting debridement-related inpatient grouping and ICD-10-PCS reporting. The section centers on documentation depth and the distinction between superficial and deeper tissue involvement.

3. Call for recommendations to revise the MS-DRG CC/MCC structure

   Covers anticipated changes to the CC/MCC framework and the broader compliance implications of severity-level revisions. The section also discusses examples of diagnoses and documentation topics that may be affected by future policy updates.