Wiki Diagnosis

[mwolfgang]

Hello - I am new to cardiology. I'm looking for any coding/billing tips. Are there certain diagnosis which are paid at a higher rate? Any cheat sheets or information would be greatly appreciated. I plan on getting certified in this specialty but until than I will take anything.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Pam Warren]

My best tip would be to make sure you obtain the AAPC PMCC coursework and become a certified coder as soon as possible.

Your question is one that has a significant compliance risk associated with it. You have asked us to provide you with information that would cause you to code fraudulently. You may never code for payment. You must code according to the ICD-10 Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting. This means that you code based on physician documentation, in accordance with the standards in the guidelines.

Payer coverage guidelines and Medicare LCDs and NCDs will instruct you on diagnosis codes that support medical necessity, but without the provider documentation in place to support the codes, a coder may not ever get creative in order to ensure payment.

Never, ever code from a cheat sheet. You must always code from physician documentation. If you are not able to do that compliantly and correctly, then I would step away from coding until you are more proficient. You can put your physician and practice at risk by appending codes that are inappropriate.