Get the Benefits of Medical Billing and Medical Coding

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Outsource and Get the Benefits of Medical Billing and Medical Coding

Outsourcing is a smart way to get the benefits of medical billing and medical coding. Providers of medical billing and coding outsourcing services efficiently carry out processes such as insurance verification, CPT & ICD-9 coding, claims submission, denial management, payment posting, reporting, charge entry, A/R follow-up, accessing of patient charts, and quality checks.

Medical Billing and Coding for Different Medical Specialties


Outsourcing can be done for a variety of medical specialties including internal medicine, chiropractic, gastroenterology, emergency room, endocrinology, pediatric nephrology, cardiology, radiology, rheumatology, and psychiatry. Some of the benefits of medical billing and medical coding are given below:
  • Makes billing and collection faster.
  • The time otherwise required for research and training can be used for some more useful purpose.
  • Cut down of operational time.
  • Cut down of unnecessary expenses.
  • Revenue increases.
Relieve Yourself of Insurance Company Headaches

The truth is that insurance companies can be a real headache. They refuse claims for the most trivial reasons making things really difficult for busy medical practices. Outsource to the right HIPAA compliant, reliable service provider and get the benefits of medical billing and medical coding.

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Professional Medical Coding Service to Healthcare Providers

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Professional, Systematic Medical Coding Service to Healthcare Providers

Medical coding is in fact a mixture of several processes namely pre-sales needs analysis, file downloading and assignment, coding, quality assessment, uploading of finished files, acquiring files from the customer, pre-coding, assessment of diagnosis compatibility with all available references, and client feedback. Professional medical coding service is offered to healthcare providers. These services can be availed of for different kinds of medical specialties including cardiology, internal medicine, radiology, pathology, neurology, oncology, and infectious diseases.

Professional medical coding service providers ensure quality, accuracy and consistency in the work undertaken. Experienced professionals employed by these firms are usually well-versed in medical terminology. Medical coding is done with a high level of precision utilizing state-of-the-art coding standards and methodologies. In addition, professional medical coding services are HIPAA compliant.

Many Advantages to be Gained from Outsourcing

Outsourcing medical coding service ensures several advantages:
  • Greater accuracy.
  • Transparency in the adoption of methods.
  • Greater dependability.
  • Money need not be unnecessarily spent in getting a new employee or for buying novel infrastructure or technology.
Other Quality Services Can Also Be Availed

Medical coding is otherwise known by the name insurance coding. It helps in identifying the claims and in providing the entire history of the patient and the services offered. In addition to professional medical coding service, professional medical billing, insurance claims processing, accounts receivable, and other services are also offered to healthcare providers.

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Pain Management Medical Billing and Coding Services

Friday, April 02, 2010

Cost-effective Pain Management Medical Billing and Coding Services

Pain management medical billing and coding services are available at cost-effective rates from providers of medical outsourcing solutions. The importance of such outsourcing solutions can be understood if we look at the present fiscal environment of healthcare. Healthcare undertakings are finding it difficult to steer sustainable progress and to make the most of their potential. They have to look elsewhere for a way to counter problems such as:
  • increasing operation costs
  • increased regulations
  • a lack of skilled labor
  • costs associated with training
  • reduced reimbursements
  • high staff turnover
This is where outsourcing comes in, also promising fewer denials.

Proficient Handling of Different Processes

Pain management medical billing and coding services include efficient handling of such services as patient demographic entry, insurance verification, charge entry, pre-certification, ICD-9 and CPT coding, claims submission, denial management, account receivables follow-up, and payment posting. Outsourcing enables hospitals, clinics, and multi-specialty healthcare practices to focus on their more important duty of looking after their patients.

Find a Reliable Service Provider for the Best Services

Find a service provider you can rely on for accurate pain management medical billing and coding services. In addition, those firms that can provide customized services catering to your particular requirements would be ideal. This means that the outsourcing firm would work virtually as an extension of your office.

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Accurate Medical Billing at Affordable Rates

Monday, March 29, 2010

Accurate, Efficient Medical Billing at Affordable Rates

Medical billing is a challenging process which demands giving importance to details, strict adherence to rules, and quick processing. Silly errors in the form of under pricing, missed charges, and under coding can cause great monetary losses for the medical practice. Outsourcing of the medical billing and coding processes can generate high-value returns. Leading outsourcing companies offer accurate medical billing at affordable rates for hospitals, clinics, multi-specialty practices, and other healthcare establishments.

Advantages Galore

The following are some advantages of outsourcing to a provider of accurate medical billing at affordable rates:
  • Fewer or nil claim denials
  • You receive the services of specialist medical billing professionals who have superior understanding of word processing, medical billing system, insurance processing processes, medical terminology, medical regulations required to process medical forms, and so on
  • More time saved
  • Healthcare practices can concentrate more on their core duty of providing quality healthcare.
Quality Medical Billing for Any Process or Specialty

Medical billing can be performed for office visits, professional costs for surgical procedures, professional fees for ambulatory surgical centers, hospital visits, anesthesiology, technical components, and so on. In addition to accurate medical billing, accurate medical coding, accurate insurance claims processing, and accurate accounts receivables are other services that can be availed of at affordable rates.

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Medical Coding Service for Physician's Office

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Outsourcing Saves More Time and Money

Medical coding service is available for physician’s office. Outsourcing has emerged as a popular option for medical coding, the chief reasons being reduced turnaround time and profitability of medical billing payments. Medical coders are similar to investigators or private detectives. They assign codes for the indications and symptoms experienced by the patient. Superior results are provided within a fast turnaround time for internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, oncology, infectious diseases, radiology, pathology, and other medical specialties.

Steps in medical coding service include checking the modifiers with respect to the processes, repeat quality control checks of the total coding using all the references available, and assessment of diagnosis compatibility with the process codes.

An Array of Benefits of Medical Coding Service for Physician’s Office

The following are some other advantages of medical coding service for physician’s office:
  • More Reliability
  • More Accuracy
  • You don’t have to expend money for hiring an employee, or to purchase a new technology or infrastructure.
  • Transparency in the utilization of methods.
Medical coding service is available not just for physician’s office, but also for hospitals, clinics, and multi-specialty healthcare centers.

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What Certifications are there for Medical Coding

Monday, March 15, 2010

Worth Knowing what Certifications are there for Medical Coding

This blog is a useful look at the importance of certifications and what certifications are there for medical coding. Certification in medical billing and coding is not always a necessity to take on the profession of a medical biller or coder, but frequently it is, and therefore it’s best to be certified. Certification also means a higher pay.

Online or Classroom-Oriented

One can take advantage of medical billing and coding certifications by way of online or classroom classes. Certification courses provide education on the difficult laws and regulations pertaining to private and government insurance filing procedures. The training which can take a year or more for completion, is available from technical training schools, or colleges. Once the course is over, the candidate must be successful in a test and then he/she gets certified.

Grade of Certification Varies with Organization

There are different grades of coding certification in the US, the certification varying with the particular organization from where it is got.
  • AHIMA (American Health Information Management Association) - Certified Coding Specialist-Physician-based (CCS-P) certifications, Certified Coding Specialist (CCS), Certified Coding Associate (CCA).

  • American Academy of Professional Coders - Certified Professional Coder (CPC®), Certified Professional Coder – Payer (CPC-P®), Certified Professional Coder – Outpatient Hospital (CPC-H®), Certified Interventional Radiology Cardiovascular Coder (CIRCC®), specialized certifications
Now that you know what certifications are there for medical coding, you would probably have an idea about how you wish to proceed towards career growth.

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What Technology is Used in Medical Billing and Coding

Friday, March 12, 2010

Medical Billing and Coding is Easier than Before

The article provides a brief view on what technology is used in medical billing and coding. Unlike earlier times when medical billing was a laborious procedure and bills had to be submitted through email, today technological advancements have caused a great enhancement in the medical billing process. Medical billing software technology is capable of automatically tracking and integrating accounting functions such as accounts payable and accounts receivable. The technology for medical billing offers automated claims submission. This finally limits turnaround time for repayment to the provider of health care.

What a Variety of Technology is used in Medical Billing and Coding

Medical coding utilizes software known as encoders to assist with assigning alphanumeric and numeric codes to treatments and diseases. After input of procedure text or diagnosis into the system by the medical coder, associated codes are provided by the encoder. Help for decision support is provided by medical coding technology.

The following are some kinds of medical billing and medical coding software:
  • Lytec – Very popular billing software which maintains an encrypted database for privacy of medical information. It has many special features. It alerts users whenever a sum of money has to be got from a patient or insurance company.
  • Medisoft – Carries out a number of billing functions including tracking payments, reporting accounts that are past-due, and generating invoices.
  • Ingenix – The software offers benefits such as helping to: cut down medical expenses, apply Medicare rules to business facility claims, and recognize savings opportunities.
Now that you have an idea of what technology is used in medical billing and coding, you can proceed to entrust these processes with a good outsourcing company.

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Medical Billing and Coding to Multi-Specialty Clinics

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Outsourced Medical Billing and Coding – Highly Advantageous

Medical billing and coding services of low cost and with competent turnaround is available to multi-specialty clinics. Annually, the medical industry loses a lot of money because of medical billing errors, under pricing, missed charges, unreimbursed claims, missed charges, and so on. Outsourced medical billing and coding is associated with a number of advantages:
  • Presence of skilled medical billing specialists.
  • Use of sophisticated infrastructure and sophisticated medical billing software.
  • Superior accuracy.
  • Fewer denied claims.
  • Speed – more work done in less time.
HIPAA Compliance for Confidentiality of Patient Information

HIPAA compliance is an important aspect to look for in a provider of medical billing and coding outsourcing solutions. This aspect incorporates security and privacy of protected health information which includes name, fax number, license numbers, social security numbers, photographs, medical record numbers, dates, telephone number, email, zip code, health plan numbers, and license numbers. It also includes the use of Medisoft, Eclipse, and other HIPAA compliant medical billing software. You must think about the individual requirements of your clinic when choosing a provider because what suits another clinic may not suit your clinic.

When a solution like medical billing and coding is conveniently available to multi-specialty clinics, these healthcare establishments should definitely make use of it.

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Why Outsource Medical Billing and Coding?

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Outsource Medical Billing and Coding for Accuracy and Efficiency

This blog is an informative look at why it is important to outsource medical billing and coding. Owing to increasing pressures, a fast-paced lifestyle which leaves us no time to think, and the errors and confusions associated with handling paperwork, outsourcing is the route many are taking to cut costs and improve patient service. In electronic medical billing and coding practiced by reputable, modern outsourcing solution providers, mistakes are less, denied claims are fewer, and there is scope for more and more ROI.

The following are some other benefits that one can gain if they decide to outsource medical billing and coding:
  • It helps to save time.
  • Presence of knowledgeable, experienced medical billing specialists.
  • It helps to save resources.
  • Money is received faster.
Helps to Identify Inconsistencies in Finances

An impressive reason why you should outsource medical billing and coding is because of the additional security that it offers. Outsourcing means an outside source is checking out your finances and giving balances and checks which you and your personnel would not have had the capability or time to provide. The outside source would be able to spot inconsistencies which you might miss out.

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Accurate and Error Free Medical Coding Services

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Accurate and Error Free Medical Coding Services – Great Returns

Accurate and error-free medical coding services means returns of high value for hospitals, healthcare organizations, and physicians. As those employed in the medical industry would know, faultless medical coding is what ensures that doctors get their due from insurance companies. Medical coding is a greatly controlled and synchronized process. Mistakes like missed charges, under pricing, and under coding can be costly in terms of the income for the medical practice.

Cleaner Claims and More Work Done in Minimum Time

The following are some of the benefits of accurate and error-free medical coding services:
  • Fewer denials
  • Reduced compliance risk
  • Cleaner claims
  • Seamless communication
  • Use of most modern technologies
  • Superior resources
  • Speedy and consistent service
  • Projects completed ahead of or on schedule, urgent turnarounds also met
Compare Rates and Benefits to Choose the Ideal Provider

One can search online for reputable providers of accurate and error-free medical coding services. These outsourcing companies can also be approached for medical billing, medical data entry, and other medical back-office processes. Compare rates and benefits and take advantage of the free trial offered by them.

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Medical Billing and Coding Outsourcing for Less

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Medical Billing and Coding Outsourcing for Maximum Reimbursements

By outsourcing the medical billing and coding process to experienced companies, you would be getting the work done for less. You don’t have to worry about training your staffs or about paying them to get the task done. You would be entrusting your work to experts, thereby getting maximum reimbursements. EMRs, sophisticated software, and network systems would be used by them, transparent techniques adopted, cleaner claims achieved, and high levels of accuracy maintained. Instances of duplication would be nil or limited.

A Variety of Tasks for a Variety of Medical Specialties

Medical billing and coding outsourcing for less is surely not a bad idea if you can’t keep track of continuously changing and complicated billing codes, and are in a fix over the number of denied claims for your practice. Some of the tasks cost-effectively handled by the outsourcing solution specialists are cash posting, charge entry, filling of insurance claims, investigating denied claims, AR collections, patient enrollment, CPT coding, and medical coding audits. The processes can be performed for various medical specialties such as cardiology, neurology, obstetrics, nephrology, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

Great Advantages for Less

If the outsourcing company practices electronic billing, it is good for you since manual billing isn’t as efficient. Electronic submission would enable the company to follow every aspect of the payment process. Thus missing information, typos, erroneous procedure codes, and other administrative mistakes can be quickly done away with. Billing is faster with electronic submission. So more funds can be collected within a shorter time.

Medical billing and coding outsourcing for less is a smart solution to counter high operating costs. Think about it!

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Medical Outsourcing on the Rise

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Medical Outsourcing on the Rise – More Time and Money Saved

Medical outsourcing is on the rise. This shouldn’t come as a surprise since it helps medical establishments save time and money. Outsourced medical processes include medical transcription, medical billing, medical coding, medical chart reviews, old AR collections, patient appointment scheduling and rescheduling, medical record review, medical case summaries, and so on.

Error-free and Secure

It is true that many Americans are opposed to the outsourcing trend – it causes a lot of jobs to be lost to countries such as India, Mexico, and China, where service charges are lower. Adverse implications of “job shipping” have been felt by Americans working in the manufacturing sphere. However, the many benefits cannot be overlooked. Outsourcing frees up more time for medical professionals to dedicate to their patients, back office work can be done by experts thereby minimizing possible errors, money does not have to be wasted on in-house training, data privacy (HIPAA compliance), secure file transfer, accuracy, regular reports, customer accuracy, and so on.

Medical outsourcing can be done for a variety of branches of medicine including cardiology, dentistry, emergency room, obstetrics and gynecology, internal medicine, anesthesiology, oncology, sports medicine, and so on.

Improved Workflow and Patient Care

Outsourcing to a country such as India for example, is popular, because of benefits such as a superior talent pool, good government healthcare policies, cost-savings, and superior grade infrastructure. It is a good thing that medical outsourcing is on the rise since more and more medical concerns can improve their workflow and patient care.

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The Importance of Medical Coding /Billing

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Why medical coding has become so important today? Well, for the simple reason that one must be able to recognize/identify and then appropriately bill every single medical service that has been offered. Let me give a similar and more familiar example for the layman. Whenever we get into a supermarket there are so many different sections in there that we walk into. From grocery to books to dresses, all we need to do is just pick up things and put them into our shopping cart. With so many different items and rates how is the billing managed? We soon realize that it is the barcode stickers on each item that store the entire story of the different item inside the supermarket and all the cashier needs to do is just scan each item. As he scans the rates / and all the other required details of all those product that we picked up is automatically incorporated calculated by the computer as our final bill is generated.

It is very similar with medical coding and billing. Before the bill is prepared it is first necessary to identify the service that is given. With so many different medical specialties, procedures, and medications how are we to identify and determine the rate that has to be charged? That is why it has to undergo the medical coding process which is now a universal standard that has been developed and is being perfected. Every single process may it be a laboratory test, consultation with a specialist or a surgery has been given a category with rates/charges that have been assigned. Today most part or the total amount of the medical bills is paid by either the private/government insurance companies including Medicare and Medicaid. These companies always want to make sure that the billing is perfectly done and that the right codes are assigned and billed. Any discrepancies found usually result in denial of the claim. The basic types of codes are,
  • Diagnostic codes
  • Procedural codes
  • Pharmaceutical codes
  • Topographical codes

Highly affordable outsourcing solutions in medical coding / billing and medical transcription are now offered by the Oklahoma based outsourcing leader and medical transcription company, OSI (Outsource Strategies International).

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Specialty Credentials for Medical Coding Professionals

Sunday, February 17, 2008

The AAPC (American Association Professional of Coders) now offers specialty coding credentials for coding professionals like CPCs, CPC-Hs, CPC-Ps, CCSs, CCS-Ps, RHIT and MDs who are already working. This certification will help them move to new specialty area or prove their worth in any specialty discipline. Even though there are no prerequisite years of experience required for eligibility to take the examination, one must always remember that these are difficult high level examinations.

These are the different specialty areas,

  • Anesthesia - ANEST
  • Cardiology - CARDIO
  • Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery - CTS
  • E/M Auditor - E/M
  • Family Practice Medicine - FP
  • Gastroenterology - GI
  • General Surgery - GENSG
  • Internal Medicine - INTMED
  • Obstetrics/Gynecology - OBGYN
  • Orthopaedics - ORTHO
  • Pediatrics - PEDS
  • Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery - PLRS

More details are available at http://www.aapc.com/certification/specialty-credentials.aspx

Here is the link to the coding examination information and application form; http://www.aapc.com/documents/Specialty_Examination_Application.pdf

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is an Oklahoma based medical transcription company that offers highly professional services in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services to clients in all the US states and also globally.

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Medical Billing and Insurance Fraud

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Insurance fraud is defined as any act committed with the intent to fraudulently obtain payment from an insurer. A big chunk of the total claims received by insurers are fraudulent claims that run into billions of dollars annually. Health Insurance fraud is today a very serious problem and a great challenge, as it has proved to be very costly to America's health-care system.

Just last week two New York based doctors were convicted of defrauding 60 insurance companies and a city transit agency of at least $15 million through clinic billing scams and were sentenced to be behind bars. Refer to the news article,http://www.amny.com/news/local/ny-bc-ny--medicalbillingsca0211feb11,0,437123.story?track=rss

It is now evident that our Public healthcare programs such as Medicare and Medicaid are especially conducive to fraudulent activities, as they are often run on a fee-for-service structure.

Dishonest Physicians and healthcare providers are also known to engage in fraudulent activities that include,
  • Up-coding/Upgrading (Billing for more than actual service provided)
  • Providing and subsequently billing for treatments that are not medically necessary
  • Scheduling extra visits for patients
  • Referring patients to another physician unnecessarily
  • Billing for services to accompanying family members
  • Ordering unnecessary tests
With newer and better coding systems and techniques in place and new policies and vigorous plans being made to revive the ailing US health industry, let us hope that the future will bring better reforms with lesser frauds, and provide efficient and effective health insurance for the entire population in this country.

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourcing solutions in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription services to clients in the US States and outside.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:57 PM Go to Medical Billing and Insurance Fraud



Certified Medical Coding Professionals Get Better Salary

The AAPC (American Association of Professional Coders) had conducted a survey (for the year 2007) questioning 5155 professional coders and the results clearly revealed the fact that certified coders earn an average of 17 percent more than theirnon-certified counterparts.

The survey revealed the range of salary today for the 3 different categories of coding professionals;
  • Noncertified coders earn (on average) $25K-$30K
  • Certified coders earn $30K-$35K
  • Specialty certified coders earn $35K-$40K
Here are some more facts that the survey indicated;
  • 41 percent of coding positions are closed to non-certified coders
  • Specialty coders get the most pay.
  • Only one percent of non-certified coders took home over $85,000.
  • Coding professionals from urban locations earned more than suburban or rural locations.
  • More years of experience means more earnings
  • Graduate coders earn more than non graduate coders
More details of the survey can be seen at,http://www.aapc.com/documents/Salary_Survey2007.pdf

For details on different certifications for professional coders go to,http://www.aapc.com/certification/index.aspx

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional outsourcing services in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription for all the medical specialties.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:28 PM Go to Certified Medical Coding Professionals Get Better Salary



Benefits and Features of Medical Billing Software

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Medical billing and coding processes having become a mandatory part of the regular medical insurance claim process, irrespective of whether it is from private / government insurance company, Medicare/Medicaid etc. Due to the ever rising need for health care triggered by the increase in the percentage of the aging population, one can be assured that medical billing and coding is going to be an active profession. Today,there are many types and brands of medical billing software that have developed and used in the market.


But, what are the benefits of having electronic medical billing software? Well, the foremost reason of course is because the software will speed up the actual work and greatly improve our work efficiency. The medical billing software can have some or all of the following features and assist us to do the following;


  • Generate faster and better medical claims

  • Lesser errors in billing

  • Can generate variety of reports at one time

  • Customizable reporting

  • Windows based environment

  • Easy access to patient data

  • Short learning curve

  • Clearinghouse service solutions

  • Can handle all commercial carriers plus Medicare, Medicaid, Blue Cross/Blue ShieldPatient/Resource scheduling

  • Multi-provider scheduling views

  • Electronic billing

  • Electronic insurance eligibility checks

  • Patient letters

  • Patient/Insurance billing

  • Automatic remittance

  • Advanced accounts receivables management

  • EMR integration

  • HL7 compliant

  • NPI number ready

  • Tracking of patient demographics, visits /diagnoses

  • Tracking billing information and insurance payments.

  • Appointment scheduling/managing.

  • Reports Gathering

  • Locating a Medical Biller

Among the major benefits of having a medical billing software include improve patient security, achieving of 100% HIPAA compliance, improved collections, faster payment entry, improved front desk and back office efficiency and more.

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription services to clients in the US and globally.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:45 PM Go to Benefits and Features of Medical Billing Software



Pain Management Billing

Monday, February 11, 2008

Pain management or pain medicine is about getting relief from physical pain. There are two basic types of pain, acute and chronic. The patients for acute pain often have a reversible cause while chronic pain is more difficult and takes longer to be diagnosed and reverse. What are the different treatments given for pain and how are these drugs billed? Pain management practitioners come from all fields of medicine. The pain fellowship trained physicians can be anesthesiologists, neurologists, physiatrists or psychiatrists. Treatments include, prescriptions like,
  • Analgesics
  • Narcotics
  • NSAIDs
  • Pain modifiers
  • Tricyclic antidepressants
  • Anticonvulsants
  • Steroids
  • Trigger point injections
  • Neurolytic blocks
  • Spine stimulators
  • Intrathecal drug delivery system implant
  • Interventional procedures,
  • Physical therapy
  • Physical exercise
  • Application of ice/heat
  • Psychological measures
  • Biofeedback
  • Cognitive Therapy
What are the properties that a pain management billing company must have? Well they include, good coding experience, and being able to support the long term and short term aspects of the patient's pain management system. Most billing for chronic pain cases will involve claims for pain relief drugs. Some points to remember include, that the Medicare coverage vary according to State. Pain management reimbursement policies are carrier-specific and practices should review local medical review policy for each type of procedure.

For total outsourcing solutions in medical coding / billing and medical transcription, call the US based medical transcription company OSI (Outsource Strategies International).

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:38 PM Go to Pain Management Billing



Dermatology 2008 Coding Conference in San Antonio

The Dermatology Coding & Reimbursement Conference 2008 will be conducted by the Coding Institute on March 18th at San Antonio, Texas. Following is the list of topics that will be discussed at the conference.

Conference: Main Sessions (Tuesday, March 18th)

9:00am - 10:00am Heal Payment Leaks with Air-Tight Wound Repair Coding
Presenter: Terri Brame, CPC-GENSG, CPC-H

10:00am - 11:00am Successfully Maneuver Through Coding and Billing For Breast Excisions, Incisions, And Biopsies
Presenter: Nanette Orme, CPC

11:00am - 11:15am Refreshment Break 11:15am - 12:15pm Defect-Free Coding For Skin Lesion Excisions
Presented by: Nanette Orme, CPC

Post-Conference Workshop (Tuesday, March 18th)
2:30pm - 4:30pm Schedule Fundamentals: Using the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database
Presented by: Marcella Bucknam, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CPC-P, CPC-OBGYN, CPC-CARDIO

Registrations for the conference is available at http://www.codingconferences.com/dermatology08r.htm

Details about stay in Hotels and the special rates for the conference delegates arranged at the Hyatt Regency, San Antonio at http://www.codingconferences.com/dermatology08h.htm

If you are interested in giving a presentation at this conference, go to, http://www.codingconferences.com/call_for_speakers.htm

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional yet affordable services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription to clients globally.

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Medical Billing / Coding and SADMERC

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Medical billing always requires adherence to proper coding and other procedures so that the insurance medical claim process is simplified. So what is SADMERC? Well, it refers to The Statistical Analysis Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier. It is a national entity that provides services under contract to the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services). It's Reports and Analysis Unit provides data analysis support to the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Program Safeguard Contractors (PSCs).

Thus, SADMERC is a liaison between medical suppliers, manufacturers, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to determine which Level II HCPCS codes work best for Medicare-reimbursed DMEPOS (Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies). CMS instructs the different manufacturers/suppliers to contact the SADMERC HCPCS units to get the proper codes and prices for items. SADMERC also performs a variety of national pricing functions for DMEPOS services besides assisting CMS with the DMEPOS Fee Schedules and analysis of DMEPOS fees/ issues.

How long does it take for the verification of a code? SADMERC indicates that a decision may be made 90 days after receipt of the supporting documentation and initiation of the review process. Users of a product contact the SADMERC to find out if a particular product is coded. Now can a SADMERC Coding Verification Review decision be appealed? Yes of course!

The SADMERC toll free helpline is (877) 735-1326, and works 9 AM to 4 PM (EST). Refer a more detailed FAQ at,http://gmassocinc.com/7-faq.htm

HCPCS Coding Verification Applications can be accessed HERE!

For effective outsourcing of medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription, do contact the US based medical transcription company, Outsource Strategies International (OSI).

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:12 PM Go to Medical Billing / Coding and SADMERC



Level II HCPCS Medical Coding

Commonly pronounced as Hick-Picks, the HCPCS (The Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System) provides a standard coding system by describing all details of health care that is delivered. Medical coding of this kind is required by all health insurance programs including Medicare and Medicaid and has become a mandatory procedure today for being HIPAA compliant.

There are two levels of HCPCS codes. While the Level I is numeric and consist of the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), the Level II codes are alphanumeric, and includes all the non-physician services such as ambulance services, prosthetic devices etc. The CPT codes basically identify medical services and procedures furnished by physicians and other health care professionals.

Level II HCPCS coding are representing the different items, supplies, non-physician services that are not covered by the CPT-4 codes. It is a standardized system that classifies similar products that are medical in nature into clear categories and thus simplifies the insurance claim process. Each alphanumeric HCPCS code has a descriptive terminology that identifies a category of items. Thus various suppliers use HCPCS level II codes to identify items on claim forms that are being billed to the health insurer. It ensures uniform reporting on claims forms of medical items or services. The codes identify categories of similar items or services rather than specific products.

Do you wish to buy the latest level II manual? The 2008 HCPCS Level II Manual can be bought at,http://www.hcmarketplace.com/prod-5287.html

Requests for HCPCS coding advice can be sent using the HCPCS coding advice form available at,http://www.ahacentraloffice.org/ahacentraloffice/images/Request_HCPCS_Coding_Advice.pdf

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is an Oklahoma based medical transcription company that offers professional yet affordable outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:52 PM Go to Level II HCPCS Medical Coding



Clinical Laboratory Coding and Reimbursement Conference 2008

Friday, February 08, 2008

The clinical laboratory coding and reimbursement conference 2008 will be conducted by the Coding Institute from April 10th to 12th, 2008 at the Brown Palace, Denver, Colorado. Here is a list of the topics that will be discussed at the conference.

Pre-Conference Workshops (Thursday, April 10th)

  • Modifier Power: Make Sure You Know How Modifiers Can Tell the Whole Story

Conference Day 1: (Friday, April 11th)


  • PQRI: Make Sure you're Not Missing Out On Medicare's Bonus Pay
  • Diagnosis Coding Primer: Error-Free Expert Tips You Can Bank On
  • Intra-operative Consultation: Insider Tactics to Get Every Penny in the Door
  • Grab Onto These PAP ICD-9 Coding Tips for Accurate Reimbursement EVERY TIME!
  • Stop Leaving Money on the Table: Maximize Your Breast Coding Skills and Increase Your practice's Bottom Line
  • Put an End to the Medically Unlikely Edits (MUEs) Mystery with Solid Expert Tips

Conference Day 2: (Saturday, April 12th)

  • Successfully Maneuver Bone Marrow Case Coding
  • Maximize Your Coding Skills for Special Stains and IHC

Post-Conference Workshop (Saturday, April 12th)

Proper Report Documentation: Avoid Unnecessary Missteps

For registration details go to http://www.codingconferences.com/clinical_laboratory08r.htm

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional services in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services to clients globally.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:00 PM Go to Clinical Laboratory Coding and Reimbursement Conference 2008



National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI)

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

The CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) has developed the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) with the objective of promoting National correct coding methodologies and also to control improper coding that leads to wrong payments in Part B claims.

What are the CMS policies developed from? They include,
  • Coding conventions from CPT manual,
  • National and local policies / edits
  • Coding guidelines developed by national societies
  • Analysis of standard medical and surgical practices
  • Review of current coding practices.
Every year the CMS updates the Coding Policy Manual for Medicare. It is used as a general reference by the Medicare Carriers and Fiscal Intermediaries (FIs). The CMS Online Manual System is used by CMS program components, partners, contractors, and State Survey Agencies to administer CMS programs. It offers day-to-day operating instructions, policies, and procedures based on statutes and regulations, guidelines, models, and directives. For specific NCCI edits, one may submit comments in writing to:

National Correct Coding Initiative
Correct Coding Solutions LLC
P.O. Box 907Carmel, IN 46082-0907

The NCCI Edits Manual may also be obtained by purchasing the manual, or sections of the manual, from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) website, or by contacting NTIS at 1-800-363-2068 or 703-605-6060.

Click here to see the NCCI faq.

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is an outsourcing services provider from Oklahoma, and offers outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 11:28 PM Go to National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI)



Objectives of the American Medical Billing Association

The American Medical Billing Association or AMBA has the unique ambition to provide industry and regulatory education, networking opportunities for all its members so that they can share information and ideas among themselves, besides helping to market the member's abilities and professional services as a group.

AMBA has its focus on actual participation by its members. Thus Professional medical billers from across the country can interact with each other and share information with each other irrespective of their location. AMBA has formed its National Medical Billing Advisory Board. This advisory board will guide and support AMBA leadership with advice. The National Advisory Board (NAB) will be working with National AMBA for the betterment of the entire association and the Medical Billing profession by actively participating in their nationally sponsored meetings, conferences, events, publications, educational programs and other activities. Take a look at the eight Board members for 2008 at, http://www.ambanet.net/nab.htm

AMBA's objectives and goals include,
  • Provide medical billing resource to members
  • Uphold high standards within industry
  • Create opportunities
  • Providing information /knowledge
  • Ongoing research/continuing education
  • Develop new ideas/technology
  • Providing leadership in the industry
  • Recognition for accomplishments
  • Offering fellowship
  • Make members to work together
  • Networking among peers
  • Offering fun to members
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is an Oklahoma based medical transcription company that offers outsourced services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription services globally.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:17 PM Go to Objectives of the American Medical Billing Association



Pediatric Coding 2008 Conferences in Naples and Las Vegas

Monday, February 04, 2008

The Coding Institute will be conducting the 2008 Pediatric Coding & Reimbursement Conference in two different cities. From May 15-17 it is in Naples, FL, and in Las Vegas, NV from July 10-12. The conference is meant for coders, billers, office managers, pediatricians, billing companies, coding or management consultants, practice & clinic administrators, administrators, compliance professionals, and anyone concerned about pediatric revenue.

Here is a brief Agenda for the conference at both the locations:

Pre-Conference Workshops (Thursday, May 15th & July 10th)

11:00pm - 1:00pm Early Registration
1:00pm - 5:00pm The Business of Providing Care
2:45pm - 3:15pm Refreshment Break - Exhibits

Conference Day 1: Main Sessions(Friday, May 16th & July 11th)

8:00am - 9:00am Registration, Continental Breakfast & Exhibits
9:00am - 10:00am Modifiers
10:00am - 11:00am Vaccinations
11:00am - 11:15am Refreshment Break
11:15am - 12:15pm Office Procedures
12:15pm - 1:15pm Lunch & Exhibits
1:15pm - 2:15pm Billing for Fractures & Other 0, 10, & 90 days Global Procedures
2:15pm - 3:15pm Non Face To Face Services
3:15pm - 3:30pm Refreshment Break
3:30pm - 4:30pm ICD-9 Coding
4:30pm - 5:30pm Well vs. Sick Visit
5:30pm - 6:30pm Cocktail Party

Conference Day 2: Main Sessions (Saturday, May 17th & July 12th)

8:00am - 9:00am Continental Breakfast & Exhibits
9:00am - 10:00am Take Advantage of Non Physician Staff
10:00am - 11:00am Use of 99214 & 99215
11:00am - 11:15am Refreshment Break
11:15am - 12:15pm Pay for Performance

Post-Conference Workshop (Saturday, May 17th & July 12th)

12:30pm - 4:30pm Pediatric Diabetes Coding

Registrations can be done at http://www.codingconferences.com/pediatric08r.htm
Look at the rates here http://www.codingconferences.com/pediatric08r.htm

Call OSI (Outsource Strategies International) the Oklahoma based medical transcription company that offers cost effective outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services to clients across the US.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:14 PM Go to Pediatric Coding 2008 Conferences in Naples and Las Vegas



Medical Billing and Medicare Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)

Health services were always referred to as retrospective payments earlier because payment was always made after the service given. This was then convenient as the payment was made by the insurance companies. The 1980s saw the introduction of cost limiting programs. One such program was the prospective payment system initiated by Medicare and other payer groups. Here each disease is assigned a Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) where the doctor/hospital received a fixed payment and calculation was done considering average parameters like stay, treatment etc. DRGs may be further grouped into Major Diagnostic Categories (MDCs).

In the early days, most health care was on a fee-for-service basis. It was referred to as retrospective payment because the fee for health care services was paid after all the needed services were provided. During the 1970s, a period of high inflation, health care costs skyrocketed. Most Americans had health insurance and were not worried about costs because the insurance company or Medicare and Medicaid would pay for all services provided.

As healthcare became more and more specialized the old system could not continue. Several cost limiting programs were introduced in the 1980s. Since 1983 CMS has taken over and focus of modifications instituted by CMS has been primarily on the elderly population. As of October 1, 2007 with version 25, the DRG system has changed a lot. This version has resequenced the groups, for example the category "Ungroupable" is no longer 470 but is now 999. Some of the different DRGs developed in the US include,
  • Medicare DRG Refined DRGs (RDRG)
  • All Patient DRGs (APDRG)
  • Severity DRGs (SDRG)
  • All Patient Refined DRGs (APRDRG)
  • International-Refined DRGs (IRDRG)
Thus today we have software like the Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related Groups (MS-DRGs) Grouper software that classifies hospital case types into groups expected to have similar hospital resource use. Medicare uses this classification to pay for inpatient hospital care. It is a crucial part of Medicare's medical billing and claim process.

Call Outsource Strategies International (OSI) the US based medical transcription company that offers special outsourcing services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:04 PM Go to Medical Billing and Medicare Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)



Medical Billing Process

Friday, February 01, 2008

Medical billing was done on paper for many decades. Today our world is computerized and also networked, thereby making medical billing and claims process a very efficient process. It also allows for a lot of claims to be managed in much lesser time.

Many companies have developed medical billing software with the intention of selling them to potential users. A newer development in this area is the availability of online medical billing interfaces that can be accessed on the Internet. Thus one need not even invest or purchase on individual medical billing software to use it.

The process of medical billing involves an interaction between a healthcare provider and the insurance company that finally pays the bill. A record of all the event of the patient's visits to the doctor is summarized that will contain the following details:
  • Demographic details
  • Nature of illness
  • Details of examinations
  • Medication details
  • DiagnosisTreatment
For the purpose of medical billing, now the level of service has to be determined. This is done by evaluating the extent of different tests and examinations, and other data collected. The level of service is now converted into a five digit procedure code from the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). Also the verbal diagnosis (disease details etc) has to be numerically coded using the ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition).

The next step after diagnosis and medical coding is the process of transmission of the claim to the insurance company. This is done electronically as an ANSI 837 file using Electronic Data Interchange via a clearing house. In the early days (and sometimes even now) this process was done using the paper CMS form-1500.

Now it is the insurance companies' job to process the claim by testing its validity, eligibility after looking at the credentials etc. The claim can be rejected if the claim fails the test and a rejection message will be sent to the claim submitting source. After receiving the rejection message, the client has to make the necessary action / correction, and resubmit the claim. This resubmission process may be repeated many times. Today it is seen that almost 50% of the claims are being rejected mainly due to different errors and the complex character of claims. Further there are also false and fraud claims that have become a big challenge to the medical billing /insurance industry.

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is an Oklahoma based medical transcription company that offers professional outsourcing in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription services.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:06 PM Go to Medical Billing Process



Medical Coding and Out Patient Reimbursement

Quite often we find radiologists, hematologists and other consultants having a confused state of mind with regards to taking decisions on medical coding. This is because on one end there is the risk of being penalized for over charging the patient and at the other end is the risk of getting insufficient reimbursement. So what is the solution to this problem?

The obvious solution is to be careful while billing and coding. Essential skills include,

  • Detailed awareness of Coding
  • Medical terminologies
  • Ability to get into details
  • Basic coding principles
  • Proper documentation
  • Understanding all codes
  • Regulations of Medicaid/ Medicare/ Blue Cross etc

HOPPS is the payment system, implemented August 1, 2000, and is used by CMS to reimburse for hospital outpatient services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued a final rule on the 2008 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) on November, 1, 2007. This final rule affects outpatient services furnished by general acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, inpatient psychiatric facilities, and long-term acute care hospitals. To download or take a look at 2008 OPPS proposed rule, go to the CMS Web site,
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/HospitalOutpatientPPS/downloads/cms1392p.pdf

A summary overview of the 2008 HOPPS Final rule is available at http://www.acr.org/Hidden/Economics/FeaturedCategories/mps/hopps/2008HOPPS/2008HOPPS.aspx

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourced services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription services to clients world wide and in all the US States.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:04 PM Go to Medical Coding and Out Patient Reimbursement



The Different Parts of Medicare Health Insurance

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Medicare, in the US is a social insurance program provided by the federal government to provide health insurance coverage to the following group of people.

  • Elderly workers and their dependents,
  • Individuals who become totally and permanently disabled
  • End stage renal disease (ESRD) patients.
Thus Medicare is a critically important source of health insurance for over 44 million Americans. Those on Medicare also have the additional choices associated with the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

So what are the different basic parts of Medicare? These are the four basic parts.

Medicare Part A is about Hospital Insurance and helps cover your inpatient care in hospitals. It can also help to cover skilled nursing facility, hospice, and home health care under certain conditions.

Medicare Part B is concerned with Medical Insurance and helps cover medically-necessary services like doctors' services and outpatient care. It also helps cover some preventive services to help maintain your health and to keep certain illnesses from getting worse.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans) is another way to get your Medicare benefits. It combines Part A, Part B, and, sometimes, Part D coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans are managed by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. These plans must cover medically-necessary services. However, plans can charge different co-payments, co-insurance, or deductibles for these services.

Medicare Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage) helps cover prescription drugs. This coverage may help lower one's prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future.

Detailed information from official Medicare site is at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/home/medicare.asp

If you already have Medicare go to http://www.medicare.gov/

To keep up with the latest changes in America's health insurance coverage system, go to the link, http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/medicarehealthinsurance/Medicare_and_Health_Insurance.htm


Outsource Strategies International (OSI ) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional outsourcing solutions in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription to clients in the US, Canada the UK and Australia.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:59 PM Go to The Different Parts of Medicare Health Insurance



Choosing the Medical Coding Certification Exam

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Do you wish to be a certified medical coder? Are you confused about which coding certification exam is to be taken? It is true that the CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services) has recommended the physician offices and other healthcare facilities to employ certified coders. Only AAPC's certifications are nationally recognized by employers seeking ethical, accurate and experienced coders.

Remember that today various employers, payers and government agencies including the Department of Labor, currently only recognize AAPC's CPC for physician and outpatient coding, and AHIMA's CCS for inpatient coding. Thus there are the following choices,
  • Certified Procedural Coder - Hospital (CPC-H)
  • Certified Procedural Coder (CPC)
  • Certified Procedural Coder - Payer (CPC-P)
  • Specialty Credentials
The CPC exam addresses physician billing and is suited for those working in any physician office, hospital associated physician's office, health agency, physician billing service, auditor of physician claims, consultant or an educator.

Take the CPC (H) exam if you are working in areas of billing of Ambulatory Patient Categories (APC), hospital APC departments, ambulatory surgery centers, outpatient billing coding service, consultants, and educators.

The (CPC-P) exam concentrates on coding and billing after it has been submitted to the payer. So take this exam if you are a claims manager/auditor for a payer, a post-billing auditor for a physician group or in related facility billing service, an consultant, educator or a physician. Specialty credentials are to enable CPCs, CPC-Hs, CPC-Ps, CCSs, CCS-Ps, RHIT and MDs to demonstrate their superior levels of expertise in selected specialty disciplines.

Contact OSI (Outsource Strategies International) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing, and medical transcription services to clients globally.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:01 PM Go to Choosing the Medical Coding Certification Exam



The Origin of Medical Coding

What is medical coding and who are medical coders? Well, everyone does know about the importance of medical data while providing quality healthcare service. The professional medical coders is one of the main person involved in the capturing of this critical and accurate medical data that needs to be delivered it in time.

During medical coding all verbal descriptions of diseases, injuries, and procedures are converted into numeric or alphanumeric designations. How did the medical coding originate? It was originally performed to classify mortality (cause of death) data on death certificates besides being used to classify morbidity and procedural data. Such type of coding is very useful especially as it helps us today to get easy access to medical records by diagnoses and procedures so that in can be used in,
  • Hospitals/clinics etc
  • Research work
  • Education
The federal government introduced The Medicare Prospective Payment System (PPS) in October, 1983, for better management of medical care. Each patient was classified into a DRG (Diagnosis Related Group) depending on the information from the Medical Record that appears on the bill. Under PPS, hospitals are paid a pre-determined rate for each Medicare admission. Since then there has been a great deal more emphasis placed on medical coding.

At present assigning of medical codes is the backbone for reimbursement of claims for Medicare patients. Codes are given for diagnoses, services, and procedures provided. Thus healthcare providers today have to comply with different medical coding guidelines.

OSI (Outsource Strategies International) is a US based medical transcription company that offers outsourced services in medical coding, billing and medical transcription services to clients globally and also across USA.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:53 PM Go to The Origin of Medical Coding



HIPAA Privacy Law and Medical Billing

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) were enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1996. It consists of two different titles. These are,

Title I: Health Care Access, Portability, and Renewability
Title II: Preventing Health Care Fraud and Abuse

What is the HIPAA privacy law? Well, The (HIPAA) Privacy Rule is the first comprehensive Federal protection for the privacy of personal health information. This Rule that comes under Title II took effect on April 14, 2003, with a one-year extension for certain "small plans." It is about regulations for the use and disclosure of Protected Health Information (PHI) that is about an individual's information about his health status, provision of health care, payment for health care etc. (Take a look at the privacy rules after final modifications at http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/hipaa/privrulepd.pdf ) It forms a patient's medical record or payment history. The other laws for preventing of health care fraud are,
  • The Transactions and Code Sets Rule
  • The Security Rule
  • The Unique Identifiers Rule (National Provider Identifier)
  • The Enforcement Rule
Besides the Fair Debt Collection Act and the HIPAA acts, one of the major laws that govern medical billing is the privacy law. The Privacy Rule allows individuals the right to request that a covered entity correct any inaccurate PHI. If a covered person feels that the Privacy Rule is not being upheld he can file a complaint with the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights (OCR).

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based medical transcription company that offers professional medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription service to clients in all the US States.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:52 PM Go to HIPAA Privacy Law and Medical Billing



Pediatric Coding Newsletter

Monday, January 28, 2008

Are you looking for easy online practical and accurate solutions and answers to your most urgent pediatric coding questions? Then here is a monthly newsletter that can be of great help. The American Academy of Pediatric has developed a pediatric coding newsletter which is very useful to the pediatric communities. This peer-reviewed newsletter has been developed with a careful review done by the AAP committee on coding and nomenclature. Here one can expect a wide coverage of both,

  • Pediatric primary care
  • Subspecialty services
Besides coding solutions and insights from experienced practitioners this new news letter also is a good source for getting alerts on coding changes that can come in the future. Take a look at a sample of the news letter at,http://coding.aap.org/newsletter.aspx?aid=10417

Subscription is available at https://www.nfaap.org/netforum/eweb/dynamicpage.aspx?site=nf.aap.org&webcode=aapbks_productdetail&key=e4605ab9-1982-4471-98bb-fedcdfc7edee

Linda Edwards is a notable AAP Pediatric Coding Newsletter Online Consulting Editor CPC who has 36 years experience in the healthcare industry and 29 years of experience in medical practice management, reimbursement, and compliance for physicians and national medical health systems.

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based company that offers outsourcing solutions to various medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription clients from across the globe.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:31 PM Go to Pediatric Coding Newsletter



Medical Coding Process

Sunday, January 27, 2008

The process of Medical Coding is today become a necessity for claiming of medical reimbursements. Also called by the name of insurance coding, the medical coding process involves assigning of codes to medical diagnoses and various other related procedures. Thus the medical coders convert the entire physicians note into medical codes that is used by the insurance companies to pay the health care provider. This type of coding actually helps in attaining quick judgment with just a glance. One can see the accurate display of the entire history and services performed on the patient.

So what are the different steps in this process of medical coding?

From the hospital, the patient chart is first sent to the medical coding service provider. These medical records usually include nursing documentation, physicians' documentations, and the patient demographic sheets. Medical coding service providers thoroughly check all these records and within the next 48 hours have to assign appropriate numerical and diagnostic codes to each of the records. These can include,
  • E/M level
  • CPT codes
  • HCPCS
  • ICD-9 codes
  • Modifiers
After assigning the codes it will have to be rechecked to see if the right codes have been assigned or if there is any thing has been overlooked. The coding team thus rechecks the entire documentation and makes sure that all the codes assigned are correct.

These coded records are then returned to the client. Transfer can be by postal mail, e-mail or electronic down load or air shipping. These coded files are now ready for the next step of medical billing.

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based company that offers highly professional services in medical transcription, medical coding and medical billing services to clients in all the US states.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 9:25 PM Go to Medical Coding Process



Medical Billing and Claims Management

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Medical Billing process consists of interaction between a healthcare provider (like a consultant physician) and the insurance company who is the payer of the bill. It is the duty of the concerned doctor to maintain/update the patient record that has all patient information, state the nature of his illness, examination/ tests conducted, medication lists, diagnoses and also the suggested treatment etc.

Depending on the complexity of the case, the level of service first gets determined which is then translated into a specific medical code. Only after coding do they become fit enough for use in insurance claim. Hospitals and physicians use specific types of software that is used to manage the different medical claims. Such claim management software must ideally make the process easier.Doctors using such claims management software can easily track and manage their entire claims and also get quicker reimbursements from the insurance companies. Some of the main features of such claim management software include,
  • Claim charges can be reviewed before posting
  • Single screen view/management
  • One can view claims that are not yet billed
  • View bills that have been rejected
  • Access to diagnosis codes
  • Access to procedure codes
  • Utilize all relevant claim forms
  • Can track the claim runs
  • Get alerts for problems
  • Electronic remittance
  • Direct online transmission/payments
  • Online claim reporting
  • Daily submission of claims
  • Annual updating of medical codes
Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is an Oklahoma based outsourcing company that offers professional services in medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 10:28 PM Go to Medical Billing and Claims Management



Dental Coding Conference 2008 in Las Vegas

The Coding Institute will conduct the Dental Reimbursement & Practice Management Conference fromFebruary 24 to the 26th, 2008, at Las Vegas. The conference is ideal for all dentists, practice managers,dental assistants, owners, dental hygienists, financial coordinators, practice management consultants, or anyone involved in dental reimbursement & practice management.The pre-conference workshop is on Sunday the 24th February and the topic/presenter for that day's workshop is,

Lead Your Dental Office to Success: A Step-by-Step ACTION Plan
Presenter: Joanne Tanner, MBA, Larry Lacy, MBA and Rebecca Lacy, MBA

The topics/presenters for the first day of the conference (February 25th)

Scheduling Strategies That Work
Presenter: Joanne Tanner, MBA

Benchmarking Bonanza: How Do You Compare?
Presenter: Janet Hagerman, RDH, BS

Proven Tactics To Boost Treatment Acceptance
Presenter: Ginny Hegarty

Focus on Financing - and How It Can Fuel Your Practice's Profits
Presenter: Ginny Hegarty

Power Up Your Hygiene Production
Presenter: Debbie Seidel-Bittke

Survey Says! How Smart Dental Practices Know What Their Patients Want
Presenter: Debbie Seidel-Bittke

Bring on the Baby Boomers! Secrets for Attracting the Newest Seniors
Presenter: Dick Chwalek

Day 2 topics/presenters (February 26th)

A-Z of CDT
Presenter: Maryann T. Dillon, CAE

5 Top Insurance Mistakes And How To Avoid Them
Presenter: Maryann T. Dillon, CAE

Show Me The Metrics! Watch These Numbers & Win
Presenter: Janet Hagerman, RDH, BS

The topic for the post conference workshop that begins in the afternoon of day 2 is

Future Shock: Plan for These Trends and Profit
Presenter: Dick Chwalek and Jackie Wheeler

See more details at http://www.codingconferences.com/dental08a.htm

For conference registration details go to http://www.codingconferences.com/dental08r.htm

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based company that offers affordable yet highly professional services in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 7:47 PM Go to Dental Coding Conference 2008 in Las Vegas



Common Medical Billing Mistakes

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Only when insurance claims are either held up or denied do people realize that there have been mistakes in medical billing that must have been avoided. Here is a list of the most common billing mistakes that becomes the cause for a delay or denial of the insurance reimbursement.
  • Wrong patient identification number
  • Wrong ICD-9-CM code with out fourth / fifth digits when required
  • Duplicate claim
  • Wrong date of service
  • Keystroke clerical error
  • Procedure of claim not fully furnished by the other party
  • No match between the ICD-9-CM code and CPT code
  • Physician's ID not available
  • Type of service code not mentioned
  • Billing branded drug for generic
  • Amount totaling mistakes
  • Treatment/service provided was not validated
  • Service not rendered
  • Service/treatment given in an invalid center/place of service
  • Service not a medical necessity
  • Place of service code not mentioned
For professional and affordable medical billing, medical coding and medical transcription services call the Oklahoma based BPO pioneer OSI (Outsource Strategies International).

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:03 PM Go to Common Medical Billing Mistakes



Medical Coding Education Workshop in 70 US Cities

The AAPC (American Association of Professional Coders) had announced that in 2008 they are conducting their workshop series that consists of four very important and critical medical coding topics. These workshops will be made available locally in more than 70 cities across the country.

Here is a brief about the four topics

How to Effectively Teach E&M Coding to Your Doctor in One Hour
Principles of accurate code selection and documentation requirements using a process that delivers the information in less than an hour and is easy and logical for physicians to grasp and immediately implement

Coding and Billing in Best Run Practices
Ensure complete and proper payment for every billable service rendered with specific techniques to improve communication, documentation, accurate code selection and payment cycle

How to Dissect Operative Reports and Find Missing Pieces
Specific techniques to extract necessary information from complex documentation using tools that deliver the best value

Complete 2009 Coding Updates
All the code changes happening in 2009 as well as an in-depth analysis of the 2009 OIG Work Plan

More details are available at http://www.aapc.com/education/2008-medical-coding-workshops.aspx.

Now register for the first workshop (How to teach E&M Coding to your Doctor..) that will be held in February-March at
http://www.aapc.com/education/medical-coding-teach-em-coding.aspx

Contact OSI (Outsource Strategies International) for outsourcing /offshoring all your medical coding /billing and medical transcription projects.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:53 PM Go to Medical Coding Education Workshop in 70 US Cities



General Surgery Medical Coding Conference

The General Surgery Coding and Reimbursement Conference held by The Coding Institute will be held at San Antonio, Texas from March 16-18, 2008. Pre-conference workshop will be held on the first day Sunday the 16th of March followed by two days of conference. Here is a list of topics that will be presented at the conference / pre-conference workshop.

Pre Conference Workshop Topic/Presenter

Dissecting the Op Note: Essentials Every Coding Professional Needs to Know
Presenter: Kathleen A Mueller, RN, CPC, CCS-P, CMSCS

Day 1 Topics/Presenter

Strain-Free Hernia Repair Coding
Presenter: John Bishop, PA-C, MS, CPC

Gall of the Wild: Get the Most from Cholecystectomy Coding
Presenter: Jan Rasmussen, CPC, CCP, ACS-OB, ACS-GI

Bariatric Coding: Don't Let Weight Loss Surgery Turn into Revenue Loss
Presenter: Terri Brame, CPC-GENSG, CPC-H

Avoid the Confusion: Master Tubes & Ostomies Coding For Accurate Reimbursement Every Time!
Presenter: Terri Brame, CPC-GENSG, CPC-H

8 Steps to Better E/M Coding Pay-UP for Surgery Practices
Presenter: Kim Garner Huey, CPC, CCS-P, CHCC

Billing & Coding Tactics for General Surgery in an ASC

Identify Every Element To Ace Your Colectomy Claims
Presenter: Kim Garner Huey, CPC, CCS-P, CHCC

Day 2 Topics/Presenter

Heal Payment Leaks with Air-Tight Wound Repair Coding
Presenter: Terri Brame, CPC-GENSG, CPC-H

Successfully Maneuver Through Coding and Billing for Breast Excisions, Incisions, and Biopsies
Presenter: Nanette Orme, CPC

Defect-Free Coding For Skin Lesion Excisions
Presenter: Nanette Orme, CPC

Fee Schedule Fundamentals: Using the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Database
Presenter: Marcella Bucknam, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CPC-P, CPC-OBGYN, CPC-CARDIO

More details are available at http://www.codingconferences.com/gen_surgery08a.htm Registration and rate details are at http://www.codingconferences.com/gen_surgery08r.htm

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is an Oklahoma based company that offers affordable outsourcing solutions in medical transcription, medical billing and medical coding.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 6:01 PM Go to General Surgery Medical Coding Conference



HIPAA and Medical Billing Software

Monday, January 21, 2008

Every medical practice, whether from a small clinic or a major hospital has to comply with The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) its privacy, security and transactional regulations. Most medical billing software made available today is HIPAA compliant, as it is the only standard method for claiming one's insurance. What are the features that are seen in such software?
  • We can send claim to all payers and receivers
  • Increase in data accuracy
  • No delay in claim due to paper work
  • Reduced rejections
  • Integrates with accounts receivable
  • Increases collection
  • Reduces waiting period for receivables
  • Ideal for clinics and hospitals
  • HL7 interface
  • Free/paid Updation
  • Technical support
Thus we see that HIPAA standards have redefined the way we handle the coding, security, insurance reimbursement and the patient's information and care. When choosing a billing software care must be taken to see that free revisions of the software is provided free by the vendor so that the program does not become obsolete especially because frequent changes take place every year with better technology. Transfer of all patient information has also to be done in a very strict and highly secure manner.

When was the HIPAA regulation implemented? Well even though it did take effect in February 2003, only by April 2005 did it actually become mandatory. HIPAA has very clear definitions against unauthorized retrieval and storage of patient's electronic data, and about provision for emergency access to data.

Outsource Strategies International (OSI) is a US based outsourcing services provider company that offers affordable services in medical transcription, medical coding and medical billing.

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:51 PM Go to HIPAA and Medical Billing Software



Health Level 7 and Medical Coding

Sunday, January 20, 2008

What is Health Level 7 or HL7? Well, in the health care sector we know standards are very important. The American National standards Institute (ANSI) has accredited many Standards Developing Organizations and HL7 is one of such international community of healthcare subject experts and IT scientists who create standards for the exchange, management and integration of the EHR (Electronic Health Record). This is a not-for-profit volunteer organization that promotes the increased use of standard within and between the health organizations. As a result of such implementation everyone gets benefited and it increases the effectiveness of the total health care.

HL7 is more about clinical and administrative data. The term "level seven" refers to the highest level of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) communications model for Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) - the application level. Historically there was no proper integration / communication between a health care management information system and the electronic medical records. Using the process of coding of medical records for claiming, to government and commercial insurers, it is mandatory that all information must be referenced or copied into from a physician authored document.

Today's XML documents that are compliant with Health Level Seven's (HL7) clinical document architecture (CDA) do provide the missing link between healthcare information management (HIM) and the electronic medical record (EMR) domains, improving the processes of medical coding and abstracting, and provides for great accuracy during the insurance claims process enabling quick reimbursement.

More details on HL7 is at http://www.hl7.org/about/hl7about.htm

For affordable outsourcing solutions in medical coding, medical billing and medical transcription call the Oklahoma based OSI (Outsource Strategies International).

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posted by Outsource Strategies International @ 8:16 PM Go to Health Level 7 and Medical Coding




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