What’s New!

Let’s look at 5 critically important HI skills and how they transfer to an AI-supported environment:

With spinal fusion procedures moving off the Inpatient Only list, CPT coding for spine surgeries is a skill every outpatient coder should master.

Not every change to the ICD-10-PCS code set is earth shattering but small changes can have significant impacts that need to be understood and mastered. A missed or mis-applied code is an error and can lead to poor data quality, missed revenue or a potential denial.

Preparing for the Certified Coding Specialist (CCS) exam means stepping outside your daily coding comfort zone.

Let’s explore the ten questions you need to ask potential autonomous coding vendors and why asking these questions helps ensure the success of your AI system deployment.

This LibmanLightbox™, by nationally recognized coding authority Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA, explores how to anchor appeals in the ICD‑10‑CM/PCS classifications and Official Guidelines, position Coding Clinic correctly within that hierarchy, and construct written rationales that both defend coding accuracy and support organizational compliance.

Regarding the facility coding, would we submit the comprehensive CPT code, 55882?

Healthcare data is deeply personal and highly regulated. HI professionals understand data provenance, audit trails, HIPAA implications, and documentation standards. These competencies are not diminishing in value; they are increasing.

Hear nationally recognized ICD-10-PCS expert and Libman Education course author Lynn Kuehn, MS, RHIA, CCS-P, FAHIMA, discuss what you need to know about nervous system anatomy when differentiating between cranial and spinal dura and spaces in this free, brief presentation.

I think of the CCS as a Swiss Army Knife, containing within it a broad range of skills and aptitudes and the ability to deploy skills in new ways when necessary. A coding credential, once achieved, is yours to keep. The CCS positions the credential holder for the broadest possible range of coding responsibilities.

For compliance professionals, this guidance reinforces the importance of applying established compliance frameworks—governance, monitoring, auditing, and oversight—to AI-enabled processes, rather than treating AI as outside traditional compliance structures.

With a compliance date of February 16, 2026, 42 CFR Part 2 Final Rule modifies requirements related to patient consent, other uses and disclosures, and SUD counseling notes. Are you in compliance?

Hands-on practice can broaden a coder’s knowledge and experience in preparation for the CCS. Here are two suggestions:

Misleading terminology can ripple through care teams, data collection, and patient communication—making thoughtful word choice a key compliance tool.

From a manager’s point of view, the inclination may be to hire a coder who boasts experience within medical coding. However, the addition of new coders has many advantages as well.

With AI handling much of the coding, organizations face a new challenge: ensuring the accuracy and compliance of codes generated by systems that often operate as ‘black boxes.’ The question then becomes: Whom would you rather entrust with the challenge of ensuring your organization’s coding meets your standards?

Two essential components—Coding and Audit—must operate in sync to keep the Revenue Cycle running smoothly ensuring clean claims and appropriate reimbursement. Internal audit should be viewed as a process of review and education, not punishment. We are on the same team after all!

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming part of the medical coding workflow. When organizations ask, “How long does it take to transform a coder into an AI-analyst?” the most honest answer may be: How much time do you have?