Medical Coding NewsWe consider ourselves health care professionals, and thought we don’t make many decisions in our practice, we can still help our administrators make good decisions. One company that we think can help your administrators make good health care IT purchases is a company called KLAS. We are not affiliated with them, but we think you can find this info helpful.
They help health care professionals by providing them, like consumer report ratings for health care software systems and vendors. You can check out a sample of a report we’re interested in here. That report is about choosing your EMR in small practices.
This is how KLAS works:
“What We Do
KLAS helps healthcare providers make informed technology decisions by offering accurate, honest, and impartial vendor performance information.
How We Do It
KLAS independently monitors vendor performance through the active participation of thousands of healthcare organizations. KLAS uses a stringent methodology to ensure all data and ratings are accurate, honest and impartial. Research results are offered to healthcare providers through:
* A free directory of vendor and product information
* Free online access to vendor ratings for participating providers
* In-depth published reports, discounted for participating providers
Our Mission
KLAS’ mission is to improve the delivery of healthcare technology by independently measuring and reporting on vendor performance. “
http://klasresearch.com/Klas/Site/About/Company.aspx
They also have more tools for providers.
What has your experience with KLAS been?
Filed under: Medical Coding | Tagged: health care it, health care software, KLAS | 2 Comments »
One thing coders can depend on these days is change – and not just the annual changes associated with code updates. In the past decade, we’ve seen the advent of electronic claims submission, the standardization of code sets through HIPAA legislation and a trend toward electronic medical records and computer assisted coding. Software is replacing coding books, and auto-adjudication is today’s standard way of doing business. It’s a whole new world – and the changes keep coming.
Each change brings with it problems: Cost of conversion. Learning curve. Training and education. And cost of implementation.
A major change to health care reporting has been on the horizon for more than a decade and is likely nearing fruition. The change to ICD-10-CM for diagnostic code reporting across all of health care — and the implementation of ICD-10-PCS (Procedural Coding System) for inpatient procedural reporting for hospitals and payers — is at least a few years away and surrounded in controversy. The number of diagnostic codes under ICD-10-CM will swell from 13,500 to 120,000. For inpatient procedures, the number jumps from 4,000 codes to 200,000.
Professional coders understands the magnitude of the proposed change to ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS coding systems. We are dedicating this space to providing news and information on the new diagnostic and inpatient procedural coding systems as it becomes available. We will regularly be adding new information and categories to our ICD-10 site, so check in periodically. We’ll also be keeping everyone up-to-date on ICD-10 actions in Congress, the legislature, or through our lobbying activities in the emails you receive from us and in regular blog posts. Keep up with your AAPC news, and you’ll keep informed on ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS.
Proposed Diagnostic Code Set ICD-10-CM July 2007 release from CDC
Proposed Inpatient Procedural Code Set ICD-10-PCS 2007 release from CMS
Rand Study on the costs and benefits of moving to the ICD-10 Code Sets
Nolan Study on the costs and benefits of moving to the ICD-10 Code Sets
Below is a list of recent articles related to ICD-10.
Chaos One Cost of ICD-10-CM – Coding Edge November 2007
Long-term Benefits Outweigh Costs – Coding Edge November 2007
Road Map to ICD-10-CM – Coding Edge September 2007
Diseases of the Circulatory System – Coding Edge July 2007
Diseases of the Circulatory System – Coding Edge May 2007
Diseases of the Ear and Mastoid Process – Coding Edge April 2007
Diseases of the Eye and Adnexa – Coding Edge March 2007
Diseases of the Nervous System – Coding Edge February 2007
Mental and Behavioral Disorders – Coding Edge January 2007
Filed under: CPT Codes, Coding, Medical Coding, icd-10 | Tagged: Coding, icd-10 | 1 Comment »
If you have ever had a day off work and your left your television running, you would see frequent see advertisements for medical coding and medical billing. Previously these courses were only available in the classroom. Now, not only do traditional schools have these medical coding classes, but you can study at home and still receive high quality training by taking medical coding and medical billing courses online through our industry associations AHIMA and AAPC.
Let us look at both medical coding and medical billing as career choices. Although these two careers are somewhat similar, they vary in the duties required and the level of pay. Most people gravitate towards one or the other segment of this field depending on their long-term interests and career goals.
Medical coders focus mostly on converting a medical procedure, diagnosis, or symptom into the required medical codes to submit a claim for insurance reimbursement. This is primarily clerical in nature.
Medical billing specialists guarantee patients, hospitals and medical offices are billed for procedures provided by the health care provider, whether this took place during scheduled or emergency medical office, or hospital visits. The common platform, which ties both these related occupations firmly together is that both the medical coder, as well as the biller are responsible for the health care provider to get paid and the provider’s livelihood and success depend on the biller’s accuracy.
Next posting: Are either of these two careers are right for you?
Filed under: Classes | Tagged: career, Classes, Credentials, Organizations | Leave a Comment »
As you’ve probably seen, the AAPC has completed their annual medical coding salaries survey. You can review it here or at the AAPC’s medical coding site.
We’d like to know what you think about this survey and do you feel it’s representative? Please leave your comments.
Filed under: Salaries | Tagged: Certification, Medical Coding, Salaries | 1 Comment »
