Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Be aggressive with your procedure/diagnosis queries for the sake of clarity.In diagnostic coding, transforming medical records into a numeric code for billing purposes may not be enough. Documentation is the basis for coding. Thus, you should take into consideration accurate documentation as critical to diagnostic coding.Risk: Deficient documentation could result in a payer's refusal to reimburse for a test or service you rendered. Make sure you and your physician speak the same language, so you can code at the highest level. Here are two guidelines to do just that.1. Ensure Clarity Between You And Your PhysicianYou should avoid 'ultraconservatism' in coding. Over the years, many coders have learned to break off from the practice of questioning the physicians when the documentation was not complete or was not clear to them. You and your physician should work hand in hand on going after better documentation -- as aggressively as you can.While physicians [...]