Medical Billing Blog

There Are Ramifications To Regular Downcoding In Medical Billing

Posted by Barry Shatzman on Thu, Jan, 05, 2012 @ 14:01 PM

Do not fall into the trap of downcoding just to be ‘on the safe side.’ As a physician, it is your responsibility to code based on your documentation. If you continue to downcode, you’re not only at risk of losing thousands of dollars in revenue per year, but you’re also potentially triggering an audit of your practice.  

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5 Rules for Medical Coding of Hypertension

Posted by Barry Shatzman on Wed, Dec, 21, 2011 @ 10:12 AM

Medical Billing and coding for hypertension claims is easy if you follow these five basic rules of ICD-9.  ICD-9 codes are updated every year. And with these updates, codes are becoming more comprehensive as payers steer away from unspecified code sets. Hypertension, a disease that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) affects thirty-three percent of adults over the age of twenty, has seen its coding become increasingly reliant upon the information found in patients’ medical records. This means if your HTN coding is not first-rate, your practice could be losing revenue on every claim! In order to keep your coding compliant with ICD-9, as well as to receive full compensation, you should apply these five rules based on the ICD-9 official guidelines.

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The Easiest Way To Reduce Patient Bad Debt

Posted by Barry Shatzman on Tue, Dec, 13, 2011 @ 12:12 PM

In our current economic recession, medical practices across the nation are facing ever increasing bad debt from their patients.  With an average of 10% unemployment, high foreclosure rates, never-to-return jobs, and high insurance deductibles, patients are avoiding paying their doctor bills, and more and more patients are being sent to collections.  But there is an easy way to reduce patient bad debt starting today.

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