Stay tuned to CPT 2010 & other changes

CPT 2010 is just round the corner. Are you ready for the sea of changes it will bring with it this time round?


American Medical Association (AMA) is planning to come up with lots of changes. They have said that they will work to reduce the confusion that has been created in the past when a new code is added in a section that has run out of numbers. AMA is naming the new process ‘resequencing’, which can be used in rare occasions.


AMA has also released some information relating to H1N1 codes and data structure. In reply to an urgent request from the Department of Health and Human Services, the CPT Editorial panel voted to create a new code and to revise another to use for reporting for H1N1 virus. These changes were approved by the panel on September 25, 2009. Since these changes were made so late in the year, you will not find them in the 2010 CPT code book. But chances are you’ll find these codes in the 2011 CPT code book.


How do you keep yourself informed of the latest CPT and other changes if they are not to be found anywhere in the CPT code book? You can go for CPT coding online information. For this, you can sign up for a one-stop medical coding website and have access to the entire gamut of CPT changes and information.

Stay informed of 2010 CPT codes and avoid claim errors

The average salary for an entry-level coder was around $30,000 in 2003, with some facilities offering higher salaries to well-trained individuals with experience and certification. As per the prediction of the US Department of Labor, the overall numbers of careers in medical information technology will have increased by almost 50 per cent between 2003 and 2010. Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) coders are one of the key components of this ever-growing job market.


Come January 1, 2010, and CPT code set will include several changes of interest to Ob-Gyns, including guideline clarifications in addition to new, revised and deleted codes. Owing to the HIPAA requirements, insurers must accept new codes starting January 1, 2010.


And with more than 500 CPT code changes likely for the year 2010, it’s important that you keep yourself update with what’s new, what’s been revised and what’s been done away with to keep your payments intact.


For all the 2010 AMA CPT codes, there are various one-stop medical coding websites where you can head to. When you sign up at http://www.SuperCoder.com , you’ll know what to stop using, what to start using, what you might have to use differently, and the like. In other words, such websites will certainly help you prepare to avoid claim errors and lost reimbursement.

Specialty-specific medical coding survival guides to your rescue

Thousands of people have made coding their lifelong career path, got certified and started their own medical services from the comforts of their homes. But it’s not that easy to survive the tough challenges that a medical coder has to put up with. Making sure your coding is compliant is a never-ending task.


To stay on top of your coding game, there are various medical coding survival guides, which are easy to read and tailored specifically to select the appropriate code every time. So whether you’re coding for cardiology, orthopedic, Ob-Gyn, or any other specialty, there are medical coding survival guides to help you sail through.


You can get specialty-specific medical coding survival guides both in print and online formats. For the online version, there are one-stop coding websites which come loaded with survival guides. Evaluation and management survival guide, ICD-9 update guide, modifier coding survival guide, Pediatric coders survival guide, et al - All you need to do is register for a one-stop coding website and take your pick.


These guides are sure shot ways to brush up the coding essentials for your specialty. They come packed with practical tips, strategies and every trick of the trade to help you wriggle out of your coding woes. In other words they just teach you to survive difficult coding situations so that you don’t miss out on your rightful reimbursements.


So whether you’re coding for cardiology, orthopedic or any other specialty, medical coding survival guides will certainly help you survive the toughest coding challenges.


With these survival guides around, medical coding has never been easier!

What you need is a one-stop medical codes look up system

The online world has a number of medical codes look up system, but most of them are difficult to use and is tough on the pocket of the average physician practice. What you really need here is a tool that is affordable, easy to use, and packed with top-notch information.


There are a few one-stop online shops for medical coders which are however simple, providing you with instant connection to official medical code descriptors and guidelines.


Such websites also provide you with how-to-articles, discussion forums, CMS references, CCI bundles and a host of other tools to help the medical coder in you perform your every day duty and excel in it too. All you need to do is insert a keyword or code and the website does the rest of the work for you.


What’s more when you sign up for such a website, you’ll get opportunities to get CEUs which in turn will keep your certifications current.


The medical coding and billing world is changing at a fast pace and to keep pace with it, you need a one-stop shop which will provide you with just the right tools to keep you on track – one place which will provide you with all the important news, updates and insurance changes needed to keep your practice compliant and profitable.

Evaluation and management coding: A low down

Evaluation and Management (E&M) services are those services provided by physicians and non-physician practitioners to weigh up patients and manage their care. The important components of evaluation and management services are history, examination and medical decision-making. When it comes to history, you need to be careful of over documentation; every office visit does not require a detailed history.


Evaluation and Management coding is an important part of the hospital’s revenue cycle; therefore it’s essential that these codes are reported accurately. It’s also on the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) radar. As such, it’s all the more important now than ever to accurately report these codes. Conducting an Evaluation & Management audit will help your practice boost its revenue.


Challenges of Evaluation and Management Coding:


• Well-trained E&M coding coders are not found easily and demand high salaries

• Few E&M coders are certified

• Coding guidelines for E/M services are complex, change often and errors can be costly to the practice


Advanced management strategies: You need to understand the E/M guidelines for accurate and appropriate coding no doubt, but understanding how to benchmark E/M utilization is the key to developing advanced management strategies. This is inclusive of compliance risk assessments, financial impact analyses, etc.


Evaluation and management services guide: There are one-stop shops where you can get expert solutions to all your evaluation and management coding queries. So go for one and enhance compliance and recognize areas of risk at your practice, identify patterns of undercoding and upcoding, spot revenue opportunities and of course improve your documentation!