dcrossman
Networker
I'm hoping someone can offer me some advice.
We have just added a new Doctor to our office. I have been working in this office for 2 years doing their billing and coding. I'm a CPC and have been coding for about 7 years.
This new doctor hasn't come right out and said he doesn't think I know what I'm doing, but I feel like I'm being grilled every time I talk to him. I'm wondering what I should do, or if anyone has advice for me?
At first I thought if I showed him how I work through a code it may set his mind at ease, so I showed him how I take the information from his note and superbill and translate that into the codes, even showing him the ICD-9 book so he could see exactly what it said. That appeared to work, until the next day when I went to him for clarification on a code and he basically told me that the code didn't need to be that specific. Last time I checked it was drilled into us to code to the highest level of specificity. I'm in OB/GYN so "blood disorder" wasn't really enough for me. When I went to ask what disorder she had, he told me there wasn't a code that would be more specific than that. Apparently at one time he owned his own practice and he speakes "ICD-9-ese". I'm confident he doesn't know much about coding. Just enough to get him in trouble. Turns out she had Factor II deficiency, and Factor V was negative. He charted she had Factor V.
I've explained "code what you know, not what you suspect" but that doesn't seem to be registering either. I've gone to my boss, and she and I both sat down with the owner/ head Doctor, but I'm left with this feeling of defensiveness and dread every time I need to clarify a code with him. Has anyone else gone through this, and does anyone have any advice? I'm hoping I'm not the only one out there that this has happened to. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance.
Devon Crossman
CPC, Bangor Maine
We have just added a new Doctor to our office. I have been working in this office for 2 years doing their billing and coding. I'm a CPC and have been coding for about 7 years.
This new doctor hasn't come right out and said he doesn't think I know what I'm doing, but I feel like I'm being grilled every time I talk to him. I'm wondering what I should do, or if anyone has advice for me?
At first I thought if I showed him how I work through a code it may set his mind at ease, so I showed him how I take the information from his note and superbill and translate that into the codes, even showing him the ICD-9 book so he could see exactly what it said. That appeared to work, until the next day when I went to him for clarification on a code and he basically told me that the code didn't need to be that specific. Last time I checked it was drilled into us to code to the highest level of specificity. I'm in OB/GYN so "blood disorder" wasn't really enough for me. When I went to ask what disorder she had, he told me there wasn't a code that would be more specific than that. Apparently at one time he owned his own practice and he speakes "ICD-9-ese". I'm confident he doesn't know much about coding. Just enough to get him in trouble. Turns out she had Factor II deficiency, and Factor V was negative. He charted she had Factor V.
I've explained "code what you know, not what you suspect" but that doesn't seem to be registering either. I've gone to my boss, and she and I both sat down with the owner/ head Doctor, but I'm left with this feeling of defensiveness and dread every time I need to clarify a code with him. Has anyone else gone through this, and does anyone have any advice? I'm hoping I'm not the only one out there that this has happened to. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance.
Devon Crossman
CPC, Bangor Maine