Author Topic: coding  (Read 3810 times)

margemib

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coding
« on: October 26, 2009, 06:05:44 PM »
Hi Michele & Linda
Can you tell me did you guys take a coding course or did you learn on your own from Experience?
margemib
Margie Finlay CMRS

Michele

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Re: coding
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2009, 09:23:06 PM »
I personally did not take a formal coding course, but I consider myself a biller not a coder.  However, I was trained in depth by a major insurance carrier and I've learned a lot from experience along the way.  Understanding coding definitely aides majorly in billing.

Michele
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PMRNC

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Re: coding
« Reply #2 on: October 26, 2009, 11:11:09 PM »
Ditto to what Michelle said! I am familiar with coding, I can do some level of coding but ultimately I leave it to the client or a certified coder. If you want to get certified that's a plus, so I don't want to discourage you, I just prefer not code or have that added liability. I would go through the AAPC
Linda Walker
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margemib

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Re: coding
« Reply #3 on: October 27, 2009, 12:01:07 PM »
I took a medical billing course with US Career Institute, and we got some background on coding but it was not a coding course just enough to get familiar with the codes and spot mistakes.
I also would just prefer to bill, I was just wondering what others were doing and what your thoughts where on this.
Thanks so much!
margemib   ::)
Margie Finlay CMRS

Pay_My_Claims

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Re: coding
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2009, 02:28:02 PM »
SAME HERE.....and I hate coding!!

Medical Billing Forum

Re: coding
« Reply #4 on: October 27, 2009, 02:28:02 PM »

oneround

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Re: coding
« Reply #5 on: October 27, 2009, 07:30:39 PM »
Nothing wrong with coding?  LOl.  Anyway, I believe it helps a biller vastly especially on their AR,  being able to know how to catch a clean claim with some messed up codes before submitting for a denial without having to sedn back to a coder for review. I currently teach a quick Biller/Coding class in the evening with about only 20 hours dedicated to the coding aspect and the majority of time focused on the patient claim process and billing maintance.  My class is only two nights a week for a total of 70 hours so alot to cram in.  But  as already mentioned it's a matter of choice for you and you can either go through the AAPC or AHIMA.  One thing I have always taught my students and my staff is that Billers and Coders go hand in hand.  But I have witnessed many time when I have placed a call to my coind department advising of needing a code change in which I have gotten harsh replies back on the other end from a coder as if I knew nothing of the coding world.  There attitudes did change though when I finally informed them that not only was I certified but also in compliance.

Michael A. Reynolds, CPC, CCP-P, CPMB, OS
Project Manager
Corporate Compliance
Sharp HealthCare

PMRNC

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Re: coding
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2009, 09:28:06 PM »
Billers and Coders do not go hand in hand. I've been in this industry for over 20 years, worked first at health insurance companies. There is too much liability involved with coding. While it IS helpful and no one is discouraging it, the two are separate job responsibilities.
Linda Walker
Practice Managers Resource & Networking Community
One Stop Resources, Education and Networking for Medical Billers
www.billerswebsite.com

oneround

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Re: coding
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2009, 09:55:42 PM »
I agree to seperate job responsibilities because we all know a non credientialed person should not code.  But they both work for the same cause, increased rev.  Coder correctly codes to gice to the biller to correctly bill so that both can bring in rev. and collect a paycheck  I have witnessed many scenarios when the two are working for the same cause but cannot see eye to eye thus a great loss of rev.   Coder won't listen to a biller because they think just because they are not certified that they don't know what is happening and many upon many of my audits came across this, no differnet then a coder trying to educate a doc. it rarely hppens.

For a biller that works in a smaller practce I would have to disagree as many of my presentions are given to and attended by office staff that contain both professional billing and coding credientials mostly becuase because they do both the billing and the coding.

I do agree that it is a matter of preference and does not hurt that is why in our facility each of our coders and billers are incouraged to attend webinars together.
Michael A. Reynolds, CPC, CCP-P, CPMB, OS
Project Manager
Corporate Compliance
Sharp HealthCare

Pay_My_Claims

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Re: coding
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2009, 11:02:10 PM »
case scenario..i was posting payments today and i posted the payment for labor. medicare allows 13.41 for labor (k0739) and it pays 10.72 (per unit). We billed 1 unit of labor at 32.50 and that caught my attention. For an hr of labor we  bill 65.00 thus 1 unit = 15 min 16.25 so 32.50 would be 2 units of labor or 30 min. I saw it was for a repair of an actuator which requires more than 15 min. The girl billed out as 1 unit instead of 4. I had 7 cases on the EOB that were like that, and now have to go to reopenings

I also had a k0734 (high profile cushion) billed but Medicare down coded it to an e0261 (basic cushioni). The dx was 436 and abnormal gait (781.2 i think) it does not justify for a k0734, so I had to email case management the LCD's on that to let them know prior to supplying the equipment they need to know if they meet criteria

They code it, i catch the errors, but I have to know it in order to correct it. I don't like coding from charts...ugh!!

Medical Billing Forum

Re: coding
« Reply #8 on: October 27, 2009, 11:02:10 PM »