A Big Change is Coming for Medical Coding Staff
November 23rd 2011 -
Healthcare administrative staff may need to undergo intensive medical coding training in order to be ready for the adoption of the new ICD-10 coding system that will replace the current ICD-9 model in the fall of 2013. The new system increases specificity of codes for diagnoses, treatments and procedures, raising the number used from around 70,000 to over 140,000. For office staff this is bound to be a shock to the system, and industry experts are advising healthcare practices not to delay in preparing their personnel for the changeover. Once the system is in place, however, many professionals hope that it will bring big advantages to the efficiency of health care reimbursement procedures, allowing for more accurate and prompt payments. It also gives an opportunity for office managers to conduct an audit of their records, to identify those codes which may be regularly denied, or conditions and treatments which are not being properly reimbursed.
Tags: medical coding training