help with codes sm

help with codes sm [2007-10-16]
Do not have a coding book,the lab work has codes as follows handwritten, want to double check, from cardiologist. 272.0 411.1 (looks like) V58.69 but the V could be a 1, I think it's a V though. I think it's lipid and heart but want to look it up to be sure, e-mail or here is okay.

What is the "typical" day for an inpatient coder like? [2008-10-23]
I'm at the beginning stages of investigating hospital-based coding as a career, and I'm just trying to get a feel for what the job is like before I sign up for some expensive schooling (although so far, it all sounds fascinating). I Do you always have a stack of manualsto consult, or is there specialized software you access in order to enter the codes? How do you know what documents to access? How long was it before you first felt competent at your job? Assuming I start school in January, what can I be studying beforehand to get a headstart (I have the medical terminology down, and IP course).

Reviewing Inpatient [2008-10-22]
OK, that's not so bad. Only 6 years. Fourteen would have been scary, but 6 is do-able. For inpatient, you will need to be clear on some of the major changes in diagnosis codes that have occurred during the last 6 years. I'll tell you what I would do in the same situation. I'm assuming that you really WANT this job. If it were me, I would certainly want it and that would make me want to prepare for it. Yes, I'd review the guidelines, but I'd also get a copy of the 2009 Faye Brown ICD-9-CM Coding Handbook and review it. The big changes will be in there, including a discussion of MS-DRGs and the Present On Admission indicator. There are also sample cases to code. Those used to be in a separate publication, but they're now in Faye Brown itself. Doing them should give you enough practice. There is an online code lookup at PMIC, so you can do those cases without actually buying a code book if you don't want to. With your experience, I think you can review in about a week. If you get Faye Brown sent overnight, you can still take the test in a reasonable time-frame. If you do not want to do this, at least go to the CMS website and review MS-DRGs and POA. They have online materials.

I'm currently taking a diploma course for medical coding and billing... Here are the books I am u [2008-10-22]
Step-By-Step Medical Coding by Carol J. Buck Step-By-Step Medical Coding Workbook by Carol J. Buck Insurance Handbook for the Medical Office by Marilyn T. Fordney Insurance Handbook for the Medical Office Student Workbook by Marilyn T. Fordney The Language of Medicine by Davi-Ellen Chabner Quick Guide to HIPAA for the Physician's Office Mosby's Medical, Nursing, & Allied Health Dictionary by Elsevier Mosby CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) by AMA (American Medical Association) ICD 9 CM (I believe the ICD 10 has come out but I haven't gotten that one yet) ICD 9 CM stands for International Classification of Diseases 9th revision Clinical Modification by PMIC HCPCS ( Health Care Procedure Coding System) National Level II Medicare Codes by PMIC Like I said I am currently enrolled in a colege course for medical billing/coding, and will be recieving a diploma and these are all the books I have needed (for the coding part, I have also had anatomy, pycology, and several other regular courses, but the above books are all I needed for the coding parts) I hope this info helps! I wish I knew you didn't have to go to school for it, I would have saved $2500o, well minus the prices for the books. From what I have been reading recently all you need to do is be able to pass the certification test, so you should be able to teach your self with these books!

Certification exams ... [2008-10-07]
To give you an estimate of how difficult it will be to learn inpatient coding and pass the CCS exam on your own, roughly 70% of graduates of college-based coding programs FAIL the CCS and/or CCS-P. The passing score is only about 64% of the questions. That doesn't include the large number of grads who never bother to sit for the exam because they do not believe they will pass it. It's difficult to learn inpatient coding (CCS) on your own. There is too much involved in it. You can learn to do simple office coding & billing, where you basically copy the codes a doctor has checked off on a charge ticket, though. A coding and billing text, like Fordney, would do for that. That would,in fact, be a good way to get enough perspective on the occupation to know what direction to go in. There is no guarantee that you'll pass the exam after a bootcamp, either. Some of them have students who need to attend 2 or 3 times before they can squeak by. Yes, the AAPC exam IS open book, but you should not think that enables you to look up the information you need. The book that is open is a code book. It's open so that you can look up the codes. It won't give you any handy hints, nor would you have time to look anything up even if they were there. AHIMA exams tend to focus on hospital coding and AAPC tend to focus on outpatient physician services. Take whichever suits what you want to code.

your percentage is a little bit off [2008-10-07]
Actually about 50% fail the test, not 70%. and that is of the total people who take it, not just those who have taken college-based coding programs. I do not believe there is any such breakdown. The simple office coding you talk about isn't actually coding if you are copying the codes the doctor wrote on the chargemaster and doesn't really require any book as anybody can copy codes! It is the billing aspects that would require the specialized knowledge in that setting. And yes, it is difficult to learn inpatient coding on your own but a motivated person can do it if they set their mind to it. I have a good friend who is a CCS who is completely self-taught. But not everyone wants to be an inpatient coder. Our hospital has ED coders, outpatient coders, and day surgery coders in addition to inpatient coders.

Outlook for coding [2008-09-21]
The outlook for coding is very good. There is an increasing need for coders, due to the type of reimbursement system used in the United States and an ageing population which requires more medical care, among other things. There are already a huge number of coding positions going unfilled due to a shortage of coders. Within the next several years, the United States will likely be switching to a more complex coding system. It is expected that many older coders will choose to retire and less competent coders will seek other work rather than try to make the switch. It is thought that a huge number of jobs will open up just prior to the changeover to ICD-10. Large-scale outsourcing the jobs to India is unlikely. There has been an actual decrease in interest in this, with some of the federal sector healthcare entities banning offshoring entirely. It is expected that the private sector will follow. Unlike some other jobs, there is a high need for control of the coding and reimbursement process. Coding has a critical effect on reimbursement, with errors resulting in lost income and the potential for huge fines and criminal sanctions. Offshore workers cannot be held liable for this, which has served to squelch interest in offshoring. Recent developments in privacy and security requirements (HIPAA), with the threat of medical identity theft, are cooling interest in offshoring, as well. As an occupation, coding offers good potential for advancement. Even if it becomes possible to assign codes via software, the higher level jobs will still be necessary and available. Coders will move easily into other roles.

Oops! [2008-09-03]
I spoke too soon! It was deleted for the 2000 code set. In the CPT book, deleted codes are usually listed in a little note appearing where they would have been. There is an appendix in the back of some CPT editions that crosswalks newly deleted codes to current ones. As I pointed out, this one doesn't have the note. Some references contain lists of deleted codes. You can also sometimes find them by searching online. If you do a Google search for this one, you'll come up with references to it.

You're right! It's has to be a typo. [2008-08-30]
There is no 62278. The codes go from 62273 to 62280. There aren't even any discontinued codes in there. I've sent you an email. If you'll tell me what the question is, perhaps I can figure out what it should have been.

Maybe, maybe not. [2008-08-20]
[quote]My question is, if i can pass the test, do you think I will be able to get a job with my experience?[/quote] [quote] I worked with Medicare, so the codes had to be correct always, and we had terrible coders that always put in codes that wouldn't pay...[/quote] It is entirely possible for someone to study on their own and pass the certification exam. The problem you may have is related to that second quote, in which you say the coders you worked with were terrible because they put in codes that didn't pay. Your experience seems to have been in changing the codes to ones that would pay. When you changed the codes to ones that would pay, you may have committed fraud, or at least were guilty of abuse. It is a federal criminal act (fraud) to knowingly do that and submit the claim to Medicare. If you don't realize it's wrong, it's only abuse. The penalties for either are severe. What you might not have realized was that those terrible coders were probably correct. They may have been coding correctly. Those codes cannot be changed. The physician may need to review his documentation practices, perhaps, but the codes cannot be changed. The office may need to issue ABNs for services which are not covered, but the codes cannot be changed. Coming along behind a professinal coder and changing his/her code assignments is not recommended. The problem you'll have with the exam will be that you have incorrect knowledge and expectations regarding coding. I can tell this because you thought all those coders codes were wrong. That means that *your* thinking is not correct. If you do decide to apply for a coding job, I recommend you never, ever mention that your experience involved changing coders' codes.

Testing CCA./CCS w/out degree [2008-08-19]
I worked in healthcare for 10 years before staying home with my kids. I did mostly billing, but a lot of coding. I worked with Medicare, so the codes had to be correct always, and we had terrible coders that always put in codes that wouldn't pay...so I had a lot of experience. I am nowhere near an expert, but I have been home with my kids for 3 years, and I am thinking of taking the test, studying of course, but I dont want to spend $$$$ and a lot of it, and wait 2 years to get through a degree. I dont want to go back to work in a hospital again to get more experience... My question is, if i can pass the test, do you think I will be able to get a job with my experience?

Re: Medical Coding Career [2008-04-24]
I was in your same shoes a couple years ago. Newly single mom of three young kids - one with a disability - and nursing school was no longer possible. Thatt finishe yet, but I am already coding for a clinic. I started there as a receptionit and when they found out what I was in school for I kept getting asked to fill out forms needing codes. More and more later, I am now being transitioned into a billing/coding position, and am able to flex some of my position from home. Plus, since it is work related, my employer will pay for my books, certification exam fee. My advice for newcomers to the field is to get a job at least part time at a clinic, privte doctors office somewhere. That's where most coders I know, and myself, have gotten their foot in the door. And it is well worth it in the end.

help with codes sm [2007-10-16]
Do not have a coding book,the lab work has codes as follows handwritten, want to double check, from cardiologist. 272.0 411.1 (looks like) V58.69 but the V could be a 1, I think it's a V though. I think it's lipid and heart but want to look it up to be sure, e-mail or here is okay.