Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Know the universal acronyms, then keep an eye out for regional acronyms as well. Do you know your PLIF from your ADOM? If not, you may need a crash course on medical acronyms. If you can't differentiate between the abbreviations in your doctor's chart, you could be applying the wrong codes to your claims. Because coders encounter various acronyms when reading, coding, and evaluating medical charts, you may take for granted that you can decipher most of the abbreviations and acronyms that you come across. Some acronyms, such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), ECG (electrocardiogram), or AMI (acute myocardial infarction) are familiar to most people in the medical field, whereas others (such as MLC, or midline catheter) might throw you for a loop. And although many acronyms (such as DNR, or "do not resuscitate") are common throughout the U.S., others can vary based on where you work. "Remember that [...]