Medical Billing Blog with Medical Billing & Coding Info & Articles
Welcome to the Medical Billing and Coding Blog
Welcome to the medical billing blog containing news and articles relating to medical billing, medical coding, ICD, HIPAA and practice management functions.
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The Blog Currently Contains 1,265+ Healthcare Articles
Medical Billing Dilemma – Dental Pain Codes
Finding the correct pain code when you’re compiling your medical billing can be a tricky issue, especially when dealing with dental matters. The trick to billing these types of procedures correctly is to narrow down the chief complaint. If a patient comes into the ED and presents a complaint of a dental wire sticking into their lip or tongue, you have a very clear chief complaint. If nothing was actually done to treat the issue but the patient was given advice such as checking with the dentist or getting supplies to relieve the pain from a local store, you can probably still get a reimbursement for the consultation services. In …
Medical Billing Dilemma -Debridement Reimbursements
Lately debridement medical billing has brought up many questions in the healthcare industry. The medical billing CPT codes 97597-97598 can usually not be used by every provider. The American Medical Association recently released these new Current Procedural Terminology codes. Interpretation of these two medical billing codes varies from payer to payer. When the American Medical Association first released the codes 97597-97598 there was a lot of confusion. Shortly after that release the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services offered an explanation of the medical billing codes. 97597 (Removal of devitalized tissue from wounds, selective, debridement, without anesthesia, with or without topical applications, wound assessment, and instruction for ongoing care, may …
Changes in Mesh Placement Reimbursements
Changes in CPT coding can be a blessing or a curse. In some caes it can mean more reimbursement dollars and in others it can mean less. When dealing with mesh placement for hernia repairs, medical billing may bring you less reimbursement for your services. The medical billing policy that has been updated no longer allows mesh placement to be separately reimbursable in relation to certain hernia repair surgeries. The National Correct Coding Initiative now has the medical billing CPT code 49568 bundled with 49570-49651. 49570-49651 describes umbilical, epigastria, spieling, and inguinal hernia repairs. Now, you medical billing can no longer include both of these codes for separate reimbursement. A …
Medical Billing for Fractures
When performing medical billing for fractures, it is imperative to know if you are dealing with definitive care or restorative care. Not knowing the difference could cost your physician a lot of money. There are a couple scenarios to keep in mind when deciding if your medical billing should be claimed as definitive or restorative care. The first step in proper medical coding and medical billing is understanding the nature of definitive fracture care in medical billing. For example: a 33-year old woman is seen in the emergency room for a minor fracture of the radial head. The emergency room physician gives her a sling and a short arm splint. …
Expanded Service Codes Prove Good for Pediatricians
There are two new care plan service codes that are hopefully going to solve the telephone billing problems and the care plan review for children that are not under a home health agency’s care. On January 1, 2006 the new CPT updates went into effect and pediatricians have seen three basic E/M changes. 1) The patient is not required to be under the care of a home health care agency, nursing home or hospice. 2) Supporting documentation must support use of modifier 25. 3) Confirmation consultation codes are 99271-99275. The CPO codes will no longer have the rule that a hospice, home health agency or nursing facility has to supervise …
