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This is the first time this has ever happened so thank you, John. He just said, “Not a question, something to note.” So he wanted to share with the membership that the difference between dysphagia and dysphasia. And I know this pretty well because I am an occupational therapist by training and that’s what I did before I got into coding and in nursing homes. So we got orders all the time for speech therapists for dysphasia versus dysphagia. Can you imagine? And yes, even physicians wrote it down wrong. When they wanted a speech evaluation, they wrote the one with the ‘g’ and when they want a swallowing eval, they wrote the one with the ‘s’. So thank you for that and these are the 2 codes so you might want to note that in your coding manuals, the difference between those similar terms.

And then ectropion versus entropion, the turning out of the eyelid versus the turning in of the eyelid.  And the codes there are 67914 versus 67921. So thank you for sharing.

Okay now the particular version I have has the introduction on page 80. This is the one that comes with our textbook package by Carol Buck. But most HCPCS books have an introduction like this. I encourage you to find that. I mean, it’s pretty strange to me that an introduction is on page 80 of the book. But basically, when you’re first getting into coding, there’s the 3 main manuals: CPT, ICD, and HCPCS. CPT is the procedures, what they did for the patient and ICD is why, the reason, the diagnoses. And HCPCS tends to be… it is procedures which the book says here but normally, when I’m telling a brand new coder when they’re trying to figure out the difference, I say CPT is procedures, ICD is diagnoses and HCPCS is like things, supplies, products.

And, since the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has identified medical coding jobs as a growing profession for the coming years, you may be in a good job-seeking position. In fact, it places medical coding under the generic group of “Medical Records and Health Information Technicians.” Future estimates indicate a growth of 20 percent in the 2008-2018 time period, with 35,000 more positions created by the end of that decade.

Look to the AAPC

The AAPC provides a comprehensive medical coding jobs database.  Medical coding job seekers can search through its job database, network with other health care professionals locally or nationwide through forums, or join Project Xtern to get real-world experience in the medical coding field. The AAPC also has more than 440 chapters all around the country. Check out what is near your area and think about joining a chapter to network with other medical coding professionals.

Social Media Can Help

Facebook: Simply type in “medical coding jobs” and many options will pop up. Many providers frequently post jobs on their Facebook sites directly as well. A good one to join “like” is: American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).  Lots of networking happens there.

LinkedIn: Some popular groups to consider on LinkedIn are:

1. Coding and Billing Compliance
2. Medical Coders (ICD9 and 10), Revenue Cycle Management. Medical transcriptions, Medical Software Group.
3. PAHCOM- Professional Association of Health Care Office Management
4. Healthcare Billing and Coding Forum
5. Coder Nation

And, don’t forget to post job searching requests on your personal social media pages. You never know who is looking. Ask your friends to share.

Online Medical Coding Job Boards

There are many forums and job boards out there. A few you may want to check out include:

• Indeed: http://www.indeed.com/jobs?q=medical+coding&l=
• Contexo Media: www.contexomedia.com/coding-and-billing-jobs.html
• Monster: http://jobsearch.monster.com/jobs/?q=medical-coding&image.x=0

Happy job hunting!

67% of respondents did not agree with the proposal (this included many CPC®-A’s.). 33% voted to keep it.

The AAPC still holds that it believes a résumé revealing the experience level of an individual should speak for itself.  AAPC expects CPC® coders to perform not only in an exam setting, but to also demonstrate coding experience (or an ability to code real-world cases) before receiving the full CPC® credential.

So, until more research is done, the CPC®-A designation will continue.

What is the CPC®-A?

While full CPC® certification requires two years of relevant work experience, the AAPC will grant apprentice status (CPC®-A) to individuals who pass the exam, but do not yet have the necessary work experience.

How do I get rid of the CPC®-A?

In order to remove the “A” designation, the AAPC reports that one of the following two is needed:

• Two letters of recommendation verifying two years of on the job experience using the CPT, ICD-9-CM, or HCPCS code sets. One letter must be on letterhead from your employer. Both letters are required to be typed and signed and will need to outline your coding experience and amount of time in that capacity.
• Submitting proof of a minimum of 80 hours of coding education and one letter on letterhead from your employer verifying one year of on the job experience using the CPT, ICD-9-CM or HCPCS code sets. Proof of education may be sent in the form of a letter from an instructor on school letterhead stating the amount of contact hours earned, a certificate/diploma stating at least 80 contact hours or a school transcript.

Verification can be mailed or faxed to the AAPC’s direct office. Once the items are received and accepted, the apprentice will have the “A” removed from their credential and will become a CPC®.

Free coding certification webinars- now every third Thursday of the month!

Our monthly medical coding Q&A webinars are free for live attendees. Feel free to encourage your coding friends to join our email list to get invitations to this webinar.

Sign up once and no need to sign up again. Now every third Thursday of the month you’ll get a reminder for our Q and A medical coding webinar a few days before.

Register here:

Also don’t forget …

Your questions answered on the webinar…

ask them here:

http://www.codingcertification.org/webinar-questions

Can’t attend? There will also be a replay version made available for a $5 charge. The $5 charge is waived for existing customers of CCO i.e.. Blitz customers, Coding Course students and paid CEU webinar customers.

Existing members check your membership at www.codingcertification.org/members to access past webinars.

Warm regards,

Support

Laureen, Alicia and Boyd answer YOUR monthly medical coding certification questions once again. Included in the April Webinar:

- Blitz 2011 vs 2012 changes
- CPC® Test 2012: what updates and suggestions to pass the test?
- How do I find a code with multiple Procedures?
- More E/M questions
- Confusiton with consult codes when dealing with Medicare/Medicare advantage patients.
- Excision-Benign Lesions
- MOHs micrographic surgery codes (17311-17315)
- When coding 17000, 17003, and 17004, do you put the number of lesions removed (units) or do you list each lesion speparately with the 59 modifier
- Determining the level of MDM
and more….

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Starting in 2012, paid purchasers of our products receive the Q & A webinar replays at no additional charge.

You can still access this webinar for a one time payment of $5.

Enjoy!

Intentionally submitting incorrect coding and billing information is fraudulent behavior and punishable by fines. Therefore, anyone considering going into the medical coding field, should be familiar with some of the most common medical coding frauds. They include:

Double billing: If you submit a single billing code multiple times when the procedure was only performed once; or if a provider attempts to bill Medicaid and either a private insurance company or the patient for the same treatment.

Upcoding: This is when a code that has a higher reimbursement rate is submitted, when a lesser-reimbursed code is more appropriate.

Downcoding:  This may not sound like fraud, but it assigns the patient a lesser diagnosis and sometimes shows fake patient improvement, allowing for extended hospital stays or allotment of recovery benefits that would not otherwise be granted.

Unbundling: Some single codes encompass multiple procedures. Billing separate codes for a procedure covered by one code is fraudulent “unbundling.”

Incorrect codes: Assigning incorrect codes is a misrepresentation of patient services.

Fraudulent Medical Coding Penalties

Under the government’s 1986 False Claims Act (FCA), those charged with fraud may be assessed fines of $5,500 to $11,000 per claim.

According to Taxpayers Against Fraud, a nonprofit public interest organization, since 1986, False Claims Act recoveries (both federal and state) total more than $28 billion. Another nonprofit group, the Government Accountability Project, in 2011, reported that the Department of Justice recovered a record-breaking $2.8 billion in False Claims Act Cases.

The bottom line – don’t engage in medical coding fraud.