This article discusses the importance of medical coding in healthcare facilities. It helps you get the reimbursement on time, prove medical necessity of treatment and appeal denials.

1. LIST
Three Reasons
Why Proper Coding
Is Important to
Medical Facilities

2. Medical coding service
includes assigning
numeric or alphanumeric
codes to medical
diagnosis, treatment
procedures and surgery,
signs and symptoms of
disease and ill-defined
conditions, complications
of surgery and medical
care. In the United
States, the medical
coding systems widely
used are ICD-9-CM and
HCPCS (Level I CPT
codes and Level II
National Codes).
Medical coding systems
have a vital role to play in
the collection of general
medical statistical data,
medical reimbursement,
hospital payments, quality
review and benchmarking
measurement. Health
investigators make use of
raw data offered by the
coding systems for
planning and research, to
analyze outcomes and
costs; to easily track and
monitor occurrence of
diseases and injuries and
develop best practices.
www.outsourcestrategies.com

3. Medical
Coding
Services
Include:
Hospital/inpatient Coding
Emergency Room e-Code
Evaluation
Medical Coding Audits
Payer Specific Coding
DRG/ICD-9-CM Coding
Validations and Review
Facility/non-facility
RVUs
ICD-9 Coding Based on
AMA and CMS Guidelines
CPT Coding
www.outsourcestrategies.com

4. Reasons Why Proper Coding
Is Important
The accuracy and adequacy of coding
and documentation has a significant role
to play in the medical billing process.
Healthcare providers are paid for their
services on the basis of
numeric/alphanumeric codes assigned to
a patient’s diagnoses and procedures.
Codes are clubbed together to alert the
insurance payer of the treatment
provided, so reimbursement can be
made. Only accurately coded medical
claims can speed up the reimbursement
process.
Errors in medical coding lead to erratic
medical billing, which will ultimately
result in denial of medical claims. So, to
ensure accurate medical coding, medical
coding outsourcing is the ideal option.
There are many professional medical
coding companies that can provide
accurate coding service for you. They
will offer you accurate coding and on
that basis medical billers generate
accurate claims.
Accurate coding is important
because it helps to prove the
medical necessity of treatment
provided. Documentation explains
what services were provided, so
suitable codes can be assigned to
explain why treatment was needed.
Moreover, correct coding helps to
assign charges to resources used in
patient care.
Facilitating insurance reviews and
helping in appeal denials are the
other two reasons that make
accurate medical coding so
important in the healthcare industry.
Insurance companies often perform
random reviews to ensure that the
charges claimed are valid. Coding
documentation helps insurance
companies understand why specific
charges were submitted.
Medical facilities also have the
opportunity to send appeal letters
for compensation denials by
submitting supportive coding
documentation that explains why
particular codes were allotted.
www.outsourcestrategies.com