medical coding

Move Beyond Coding with CAC

By Chris Casto Many healthcare organizations implemented computer-assisted coding (CAC) to supplement coding operations. The use of natural language processing to pre-read patient charts to suggest ICD-10-CM-PCS and CPT codes to the coding staff resulted in higher productivity, greater accuracy or both. Using machine learning and artificial intelligence, some organizations have moved beyond code suggestions…

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15 things to know about medical coding

By Kelly Gooch for Becker’s Hospital Review Medical coding is a key component of revenue cycle management. When done efficiently and accurately, it helps ensure hospitals are properly reimbursed for the services they provide. Here are 15 things to know about medical coding: AAPC, formerly known as the American Academy of Professional Coders, describes medical coding as “the…

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Book excerpt: Review queries regularly to mitigate denials

By by Trey La Charité, MD, FACP, SFHM, CCDS for ACDIS CDI Blog People are human. This goes for clinicians, coders, and for CDI personnel. Mistakes happen. If left unchecked, however, mistakes become habits. Effective CDI programs understand this and take appropriate steps to ensure occasional mistakes don’t become recurring bad habits. Since the structure and…

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DRG Mismatches

By Cheryl Ericson, MS, RN, CCDS, CDIP for For the Record When discrepancies occur, the ensuing reconciliation process serves as a prime opportunity to educate CDI and coding staffs. Reconciliation rates monitor both clinical documentation improvement (CDI) and coding proficiency, a key performance indicator. However, many in leadership positions overlook the importance of trending reconciliation…

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Coding tip of the day: Don’t take non-covered service denials at face-value

By Angie Stewart for Becker’s ASC Review Insurers may wrongly deny a claim and hope providers don’t notice it’s actually a covered service, according to medical coding and billing specialist Steven Verno. Mr. Verno shared the following tip for appealing a non-covered service on LinkedIn: “You need proof that the insurance company is wrong. The…

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Hospitals are learning from industry how to cut medical errors

By the Economist AFTER a brain aneurysm in 2004, Mary McClinton was admitted to Virginia Mason Medical Centre in Seattle. Preparing for an x-ray, the 69-year-old was injected not, as she should have been, with a dye that highlights blood vessels, but with chlorhexidine, an antiseptic. Both are colourless liquids. The dye is harmless; the…

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How AI & natural language processing technologies can improve outcomes: Q&A with RCCH HealthCare Partners CMIO Dr. Vishal Bhatia

By Jackie Drees for Becker’s Hospital Review Vishal Bhatia, MD, chief medical information officer at RCCH HealthCare Partners in Brentwood, Tenn., discusses the evolution of his role as CMIO and how artificial intelligence, natural language processing and voice recognition technologies can improve healthcare. Responses are lightly edited for clarity and length. Question: How has your role…

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CMS bid to overhaul E/M codes leaves few happy

With its proposed changes to payments and documentation for office visits, the agency is effectively forcing providers to reckon with a longstanding, oft-disputed problem. By Tony Abraham for Healthcare Dive Most healthcare players agree the evaluation and management billing codes used by CMS need an overhaul, but few like the manner to do so proposed…

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