by Updated on A person shared that they completed their medical coding and billing program but never went through to take a test for certification. They have been working for a year at a doctor’s office and completed their internship there as a receptionist. The candidate said they really wanted to pursue a…
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by Updated on Just like billing private payers, billers should send claims to Medicaid and Medicare. These are similar claims to those they send to private third-party payers. There are some notable exceptions, though. Since these programs are high-volume government payers, billers should send claims directly to Medicaid and Medicare. It means that…
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by Updated on The demand for medical coders and billers is high in today’s market. You don’t need a degree for either position, however, you need to obtain professional certification from the AAPC or the American Health Information Management Association. The AAPC also provides certifications for professional medical billers on their website, which…
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by Updated on In the medical field, there are multiple complex physiology and anatomy terms you may have noticed tossed around. With our comprehensive list of medical terms, you can learn the most common surgical and anatomical terms. For a better understanding, we will explore them by suffixes, prefixes, and roots. Numbers Often,…
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by Updated on The CPC examination contains 150 multiple-choice questions. It is fairly harsh since it takes about 5to 6 hours. You have two breaks in the middle. The price of the exam is $300. However, if you are an AAPC member, you will pay only $260. Individuals pay $125 of annual dues…
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by Updated on This exam consists of medical coding questions which cover all the necessary information for medical coders and medical billing specialists. The topics included in this exam are: coding by body system, coding by a procedure (CPT®) and department, ICD-9-CM, HCPCS Level II, Anatomy and Vocabulary, Practice and Evaluation and General…
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by Updated on HCPCS modifiers work similarly to CPT modifiers. These code sets are so similar that you can often use modifiers from one code set with another. For instance, the -LT modifier in the HCPCS code set is often used in the CPT codes to describe a bilateral procedure that was only…
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by Updated on Health insurance is one of the essential investments we make. Injuries, diseases, and other medical incidents can be extremely expensive if they require hospital visits or surgery. Securing health coverage is the only way to be sure you aren’t stuck with enormous medical bills that you have to cover out-of-pocket….
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by Updated on In the American economy, healthcare is one of the fastest-growing sectors. Almost $8,000 per year per capita Americans spend on healthcare, and a large portion of that money is spent on health insurance. How Health Insurance Works Effectively, health insurance subscribers conclude an agreement with a health insurance company to…
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by Updated on If you are interested in medical coding and billing or you want to advance your current medical coding or billing career, you can consider obtaining certification. Professionals who hold certifications have more benefits, such as increased salary and job opportunities. Depending on the level of education you’re seeking, certification programs…
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by Updated on By researching the requirements for medical coding certification, you have already taken the first step to a successful career. Today, employers are seeking candidates with a solid educational background and relevant experience because the field is getting more complex, competitive, and demanding. With a medical coding certification, you will have…
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by Updated on The following scenarios, coding examples, and medical reports are theoretical. Some were simplified for space while others are included only as teaching examples. Example 1 Let’s begin with a quite straightforward visit to a doctor. So, the patient is in his late 20s and visits this doctor for the first…
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by Updated on Before, we were talking about the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT). This is an essential and expansive code set issued and maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA). Together with ICD, it is one of the most significant code sets that medical coders should know. All these codes are copyrighted by…
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by Updated on Medical billing can be an extremely complicated process. According to a 2016 public opinion survey by Copatient, approximately 72% of Americans are confused by their medical bills, while 94% have received bills that they found “too expensive”. Even with insurance or Medicare coverage, you may find unexpected fees because of…
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by Updated on Those who are interested in becoming a medical coder can take a look at this guide to see what coding diploma, certifications, and associate degree programs are available. You will find out about the difference between the programs, so you can pick the way most suitable to your needs and…
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by Updated on Working as a medical coding specialist, you need to know a whole variety of abbreviations used in the healthcare system. Usually, most medical assistants can be confused with a whole bunch of medical terminologies such as PERRLA, VS, HR, OD, and OS. However, administrative medical assistants should be able to deal…
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by Updated on Procedure and diagnosis codes are used to track the spread of diseases and the efficiency of a certain procedure. However, mainly, in the US, they are used in the reimbursement process. In other terms, codes are useful for accurate and efficient billing. Why We Bill When you go to a…
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by Updated on There are many preparation materials for the Certified Professional Coding (CPC) exam provided by the AAPC. They are available on their website, but they are relatively expensive. Everything you need to know to pass the CPC exam can be learned at a community college or university. The AAPC training materials…
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by Updated on Similar to medical coding, medical billing process might seem complicated and large, but in reality, it’s a process that includes eight simple steps. These steps are: Registration. The setting of financial responsibility for the visit. Check-in and check-out of the patient. Ensuring coding and billing compliance. Preparing and sending claims….
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