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.
2004-2024 Celebrating 20 Years of Healthcare RCM Articles
The Blog Currently Contains 1,265+ Healthcare Articles
Emphysema Diagnosis Coding Tips
Want to know why your emphysema claims aren’t being fully reimbursed? Often, the reason is that you’re lacking two things when you submit your claim. You aren’t being detailed enough with your coding and your don’t have enough detailed medical documenation to back up your full diagnostic testing that is required to accurately diagnose emphysema and narrow the degree and type. When you’re compiling the medical billing for an established patient with active emphysema (492.8, Other emphysema) and they present and are complaining of shortness of breath (786.05); the physician provides inhalation treatment, trains the patient on using the nebulizer at home, and provides an expanded problem-focused examination and medical …
Common Varicose Vein Treatments
As more research is done regarding the relationship between varicose veins, blood clots and other complications; more and more patients are having the simple surgery and as a result there has been confusion about exactly how to code this procedure to get the fairest reimbursement for this service. Once you know the basics for setting it up – it’s easy! A good example would be if a patient with varicose veins in her left lower leg presents to the ED and is stating she has severe pain in her leg. One of the veins is clearly bleeding so the doctor will use a standard suture ligation to stem the bleeding …
Do You Know the Three "R’s" of Consulting Reimbursements?
Since consultation requirements have increased in the last year as far as criteria for getting them reimbursed in your medical billing claims, there are some criteria you must be certain that your claims meet in order to justify using codes 99241-99255. It used to be simple and medical billing consultant merely had to meet the three “R’s” in order to justify medical billing claims for consultations. However the criteria for what does and does not constitute a consultation has changed and in order to make sure that your medical billing claims are paid, you need to reacquaint yourself with the three R’s of medical billing for consultations. The three R’s …
Definity Still Definitely a Problem in 2007
The injectable contract agent named Perflutren better known as Definity has caused a lot of confusion as many providers are billing the incorrect code and Medicare and most other large payors switched the code for this service in late 2005 and 2 years later it’s still showing up on medical billing and causing numerous delays and rejections on medical billing reimbursements. If you’re a service provider that is still billing A9700, you could face delays in getting paid–or even denials on your medical billing claims. If the carrier approves the main echocardiography procedure, then it will usually approve the use of Definity as contrast. If you are not sure of …
Wound Closure Medical Billing -Dermabond or Stitches?
When a wound needs closing and a tissue adhesive is used the medical billing coding can be different than when sutures or stitches are used. There are specific guidelines for medical billing when tissue adhesives are used. All adhesives including Dermabond have their own unique way of being reported on medical billing. Consult with Medicare or the carrier to ensure that you are meeting those guidelines prior to submitting your medical billing. There are five basic guidelines that Medicare requires in order to reimburse for this service and many carriers follow the same criteria for laceration closures utilizing Dermabond. You should report G0168 for Medicare patients only; the CPT code …
