AMA Bookstore News, Oct. 11, 2012

Enhance your understanding of HIPAA-HITECH security rule compliance requirements with a new edition of a favorite AMA publication: Handbook for HIPAA-HITECH Security. Author Margret Amatayakul has created a second edition that doubles as a quick and handy reference as well as a step-by-step guide to achieving compliance.

Handbook for HIPAA-HITECH Security, second edition, details the final regulations brought about by HITECH changes to the HIPAA security rule and to the privacy rule as it applies to security. Practical and pragmatic ways to interpret those regulations and ensure compliance are also presented.

Ten chapters, four appendixes, and a glossary cover such topics as:

• The importance of information security
• An overview of the HIPAA security rule
• A plan of action to achieve and maintain security
• Organizational relationships
• Documentation requirements and management
• Risk analysis
• Administrative, physical, and technical safeguards
• Business associate relationships, contracts, and agreements
• Web site security, remote access, passwords, and encryption
• Application of security controls

Readers will benefit from special features like:

• Case studies that help to enhance understanding of health information technology and the electronic health record
• Policy templates and other tools on CD-ROM that provide quick accessibility to helpful documents
• Questions and answers that test comprehension of the important security concepts.

Are you a physician or a physician entering the clinical informatics subspecialty, an office manager, a practice administrator, a security officer, an EHR and other health IT vendor, a malpractice carrier, an attorney, or a health care business associate? If you answered yes, then add this title to your list of must-read books.

Preorder your copy today for delivery this December.

AMA also provides online training on HIPAA privacy and security compliance at new lower enrollment rates. Learn at your own pace and document your training to fulfill government regulations.

Enroll now in AMA HIPAA School.

The AMA announced the culmination of medicine's annual effort to capture and describe the latest scientific advances in medical, surgical and diagnostic services with the recent public release of the 2013 CPT code set. The new code set should be used for claims filed as of Jan. 1, 2013.

One of the largest recent expansions to the code set was the result of significant advancements in understanding and testing for the molecular basis of disease, including the Human Genome Project. In response to the incredible potential offered by this scientific progress, new CPT codes for molecular pathology tests first appeared in 2012 and the evolving process has resulted in the creation of 116 molecular pathology codes available in the 2013 CPT code set. Learn more.

The ICD-10-CM term inflammatory polyps of the colon (subcategory K62.1 in ICD-10-CM) is synonymous with ICD-9-CM term pseudopolyposis.

Want to learn more about ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM mapping codes? Rely on the AMA to be your source for ICD-10-CM materials and ICD-10-CM training.

Attendees of the 2013 CPT® and RBRVS Annual Symposium can submit questions to a panel of  Contractor Medical Directors (CMDs) for discussion during the Q&A portion of the Common Coding/Claims Issues session. Submit your question. Questions will be accepted until Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. Please note: Due to time restraints, the CMDs may not be able to answer all questions submitted.

Recently retired AMA employee Grace Kotowicz, RN, BS, can quickly summarize why the AMA is the organization health care professional's rely on for coding references they can trust: "There is no other body that provides this level of wide-ranging expertise, detail, or scrutiny to the information published monthly to educate users on the appropriate use of the CPT® code set to facilitate reimbursement and analysis of health care information," she said.

Not so easily summarized is the amount of effort coding experts, such as Grace, put forth to ensure every AMA coding product represents the latest coding information and is built on a consensus among payers, specialty societies, and the AMA.

Coding expertise
For the AMA's CPT Coding & Regulatory Services department, Grace last served as a senior clinical coding specialist and quality content coordinator for the CPT® Assistant newsletter. Grace's background as a nurse provided her the expertise needed to ensure the clinical portion of coding was always fully represented.

Like Grace, the AMA's CPT staff has a diverse health care background that represents coding, health information technology and the clinical perspective. This diversity—plus 20 and 30+ years of direct involvement in the CPT process—has given these in-house experts the experience needed to create comprehensive coding products the health care market needs. "A result of staff's involvement with the CPT process is that their knowledge and understanding becomes the foundation for development of CPT coding publications beyond that of the CPT codebook," Grace said.

CPT companions
Alongside CPT® Professional—the AMA's flagship coding product—it also publishes numerous companion titles that serve to provide the health care market with relevant products for their coding and educational needs. CPT staff work with the CPT® Editorial Panel, and the fifteen members of the CPT AssistantEditorial Board, on a variety of issues and topics for publication in the CPT Assistant newsletter and other AMA or specialty reports. CPT Assistant conveys the standard for proper coding and reporting of procedures and services described by the CPT code set. Through this effort, CPT Assistant has assumed the role of "official" document of record from the AMA. 

"These AMA-sponsored and published coding products represent the use and utility of the CPT code set for physicians and other allied health professionals by fostering the needed infrastructure to support consensus among payers, specialty societies, and the AMA," Grace said.

Renowned workshops
Through its annual CPT® and RBRVS Symposium and CPT Changes Workshops, the AMA aims to provide coders, physicians and other health care professionals with educational seminars that will prepare them for annual code changes, and help them understand the rationale behind these updates.

Seminar content is authored by CPT and the AMA Specialty Society Relative Value Scale Update Committee (RUC) staff based on the work performed by the CPT/HCPAC Advisory Committee members, specialty staff, the CPT Editorial Panel and the RUC. The clinical and procedural descriptions and related coding nuances are imparted by the AMA CPT Panel and specialty society members who analyze the code change proposals, required literature, and technology.  These workshops provide personal coding guidance for both the intent and use of the new codes, associated guidelines, and how they relate to other areas of the code set.

Learn more about CPT procedures and resources.

Grace's tenure at the AMA
Grace first began working for the AMA in November 1992 and fully retired September 2012. Her numerous roles have included contributing author to CPT Assistant, CPT Changes, Principles of CPT Coding and Coding with Modifiers, and subject matter expert to subscribers of the CPT Network. She has also been directly involved with the CPT and RBRVS Symposium, CPT process, and other has served as an author and reviewer for other CPT products (medium/short descriptor and consumer descriptor files), the CPT Reference Guide for Cardiovascular Coding, the Principles of ICD-10-CM series and CPT coding cards.

Like what you see in AMA Bookstore News? Looking for something different? Talk to an AMA representative at the CPT® and RBRVS 2013 Symposium about AMA Bookstore news and receive a free Starbucks gift card + AMA Coder bear!

Stop by the AMA Bookstore area during the CPT and RBRVS 2013 Annual Symposium in Chicago to speak with AMA representatives about the latest coding trends and ICD-10-CM implementation plans, and to learn how AMA Coding Online can benefit your daily workflow. Expert, efficient and objective, the AMA Coding Online suite provides physician offices, consultants and payers with the tools needed to work confidently and efficiently. Be sure to stop by and take a test drive of CodeManager® Online, CPT® Assistant Online, or the other popular Web-based products. Attendees can enjoy up to 30% off and free shipping. AMA Coding Online subscriptions will be available for 20% off the one-year rate for up to 10 users.

Our catalog is now available in an updated and easy-to-use digital format.

• Browse products with more ease, using the new flip-book format
• Browse sections using the Table of Contents (located on Page 3) and click page numbers to view
• Use the Search feature to quickly locate content, product names, or item numbers
• Click to view full product descriptions and special features right from the catalog
• Add products to your cart directly from product pages
• Refresh your Shopping Cart page when you're done shopping to see all your products.