So Many Books, So Little Time - Part 3

Yes, it's true.  There are so many books and so little time, I haven't even had time to blog for the last two weeks because I had my nose in two of them.  Thank God for smartphones and long waits at the car wash, or who knows how much longer it would been before I posted again!

In my first post of this series, I gave one of my favorite quotes: "ICD is from Mars, HCPCS is from Venus."  So let's move on to Venus for a bit.  Don't worry, we'll be back to Mars, but I like to talk about the present before I talk about the future (ICD-10), so let's get on with it.  I apologize for the length of this post, but I have a lot to say today!

Three Levels of HCPCS
The Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) has three different levels and just to make things more interesting, Level I is not usually called HCPCS, it's called CPT.  The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) was developed and is maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA).

By Physicians for Physicians
What makes CPT so unique is that it is the only coding system in the HIPAA-approved code sets that is developed by physicians for physicians.  The codes you see in the CPT code book are the result of various medical and surgical societies coming together with the AMA to decide which procedures deserve their very own CPT codes.  Every year at the AMA's CPT Symposium, coders from around the country gather in Chicago to listen to these physicians present the coding updates for the coming year.  It's an expensive but valuable conference that I think every coder should experience at least once.  

CPT codes are primarily used by physicians to report procedures and services performed in every possible setting where a physician - or qualified health practitioner - may see  a patient: his office, the hospital, a clinic, a nursing home, etc. But it doesn't stop there.  CPT is also used to report hospital outpatient procedures. Of course, since there are still a lot of procedures that are performed solely as inpatient, hospital coders use a small number of CPT codes in comparison to pro-fee (physician) coders. 

Three within Three

So now that we know that CPT is one of three levels of HCPCS, let's delve a little deeper into this major code set. CPT has three categories of codes and this is still a pretty new concept for me because when I was learning, there were no categories, just CPT codes. 

Category I Codes

Category I codes are the original CPT codes they're what I like to call "grown-up" CPT codes. In order to get a grown-up CPT code, a procedure has to meet some pretty stringent criteria: 

• The procedure must have FDA approval
• The procedure must be commonly performed by practitioners nationwide
• The procedure must have proven efficacy

Once these criteria are met, a five-digit numeric code is assigned to the procedure and unlike ICD (different planet, remember?), these codes do not have decimal points. The codes are arranged in sections by type of procedure or service:

• Evaluation and Management (E/M) (codes beginning with 9)
• Anesthesia (codes beginning with 0)
• Surgery (codes beginning with 1-6)
• Radiology (codes beginning with 7)
• Pathology and Laboratory
• Medicine (the rest of the codes beginning with 9)

The Surgery codes are divided by specialty, for example, the cardiovascular codes begin with 3 and neuro codes begin with 6. After coding for a while, you should be able to look at a CPT code and have a general idea of what it is. A common newbie mistake is to look for the E/M codes in the back of the book. After all, they begin with 9!  But remember that CPT is a coding system that was developed by physicians for physicians and since physicians use E/M codes more than any others, they are in the front of the book for quick reference. 

Here are a few examples of Category I CPT codes:

• 99283, Emergency department visit for the evaluation and management of a patient, which requires these 3 key components: An expanded problem focused history; An expanded problem focused examination; and Medical decision making of moderate complexity
• 12002, Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities; 2.6cm to 7.5cm
• 75625, Aortography, abdominal, by serialography, radiological supervision and interpretation 

Category II CPT Codes

Category II CPT codes are located behind the Category I CPT codes in the book. These are the only CPT codes that are optional. They are used by physicians for tracking performance measures. The purpose of these codes is to decrease administrative burden on providers while collecting information on the quality of patient care. Category II codes are five-digit alphanumeric codes that end in "F."  Here are some examples:

• 1040F, DSM-5 criteria for major depressive disorder documented at the initial evaluation (MDD, MDD ADOL)1
• 3775F, Adenoma(s) or other neoplasm detected during screening colonoscopy (SCADR)12

Category II CPT codes are implemented throughout the year and may be implemented before they actually appear in the CPT book.  Code updates can be accessed on the AMA's website. 

Category III CPT Codes

Category III CPT codes, or "baby codes," as I like to call them, are for emerging technologies that do not meet the criteria of a grown-up Category I CPT code. The Category III codes are found behind the Category II codes in the CPT book. For procedures that are not commonly performed, lack FDA-approval, or don't yet have proven efficacy, Category III codes are assigned. These are temporary codes for a period of 5 years. It has become common practice to see Category III codes reach Category I status with each annual update. For 2015, one of those procedures that was moved was transcatheter mitral valve repair with a prosthesis. The MitraClip uses this relatively new technology to treat mitral regurgitation and it received FDA approval in 2013. 

These are five-digit alphanumeric codes that end in "T." The codes are added throughout the year and may be implemented before they are published in the CPT book. Here are some examples of some Category III codes:

• 0387T, Transcatheter insertion or replacement of permanent lead less pacemaker, ventricular
• 0274T, Percutaneous laminotomy/laminectomy (intralaminar approach) for decompression of neural elements, (with or without ligamentous resection, discectomy, facetectomy and/or foraminotomy) any method under indirect image guidance (eg, fluoroscopic, CT), with or without the use of an endoscope, single or multiple levels, unilateral or bilateral; cervical or thoracic

Updates to Category III codes can also be found on the AMA's website throughout the year.  

Staying Updated

Back in the day, it was important just to make sure that you had the most recent year's CPT book to ensure you were using valid codes. However, with the Internet, now it's also important to monitor the CPT updates and errata on a regular basis since changes are made throughout the calendar year. I find it easiest to put a reminder on my calendar the first of each month to check the AMA's website for updates to the errata, which is a list of corrected errors in the CPT code book, as well as changes in Category III codes. Since I don't use Category II codes, I forego that update, but if you are coding them, be sure to look for those updates too. 

By the way, the errata is on the list of approved materials for the AAPC exams. The year I took the CIRCC exam (Certified Interventional Radiology and Cardiology Coder), there were a lot of errors in the electrophysiology code notes and the errata was something I really needed.  Be sure to check it out!

Modifiers

HCPCS codes have a concept specific to HCPCS codes only: modifiers. Think of modifiers like moons that are specific to a planet (and please forget for a moment that Venus doesn't have any moons!). Modifiers apply to HCPCS codes only, not ICD-9-CM codes. They are added to HCPCS codes to provide additional information, such as a bilateral procedure or an unusual service or to indicate that a procedure was discontinued. CPT modifiers are two numeric digits that are appended to a HCPCS code with a dash (e.g., 75710-59). 

All CPT Coders are not Created Equal

The people who assign CPT codes are just as complex as the coding system. Since hospital coders code only a subset of CPT codes, they don't have the same skill set that a pro-fee coder has. Remember that hospital inpatient coders use volume 3 of ICD-9-CM to code procedures. Hospital outpatient coders assign CPT codes for procedures that are found in the outpatient setting. So while the pro-fee coder coding for the cardiologist will code everything from a clinic visit in the physician's office to an angioplasty in the hospital cardiac cath lab to a full blown coronary bypass in the hospital's OR (all using CPT, of course), the outpatient hospital coder would only use CPT to code the angioplasty. Hospitals don't follow conventional E/M rules and coronary bypass is an inpatient procedure that gets coded using ICD-9.   In addition, many of the modifiers used by hospitals are different than those used by physicians. 

These differences are one of the reasons it's so difficult to make the crossover from hospital to pro-fee coding and vice versa. I personally hate E/M coding but I know people who love it. So if you find that one area of coding is not really your cup of tea, fear not!  You may find another area very rewarding. 

I also really can't talk about CPT without bringing up a little tiny thing from the hospital side called a charge description master (CDM), or as it's more commonly called, the charge master.  It's as masterful as it sounds: a line-item listing of everything a hospital department charges for.  Each line item has a description of the charge, charge amount, and sometimes a CPT code.  One of the most difficult transitions I see in pro-fee coders crossing over to the hospital side is not understanding that the coder doesn't code everything.  There are many codes that are assigned automatically by the charge master when a charge is applied to the bill.  This is the case when the CPT code doesn't require a lot of subjective reasoning (e.g.,  lab test or x-ray).  For those procedures and services, such as operative procedures, that require subjective reasoning, a real-live coder will assign the code.  It may sound counter intuitive, but this actually increases the amount of coding-related jobs in a hospital.  The charge master analyst requires coding knowledge as he/she works with hospital departments to set up charges, research appropriate CPT codes for the procedure or service, and determine if it will be hard coded (by the charge master) or soft coded (by a person in coding).  

CPT Made (Too?) Simple
This posting really oversimplifies the CPT code set (that's right, it gets more complex!), but it's a start if you're still finding your way in the coding field.  I have a love-hate relationship with CPT because I find it both challenging (love!) but also frustrating when I hear conflicting coding advice between CMS, the AMA, and medical/surgical societies (hate!).  If you find that you love all aspects of CPT, then you can have a very lucrative career in either the pro-fee or facility coding arenas.

Stay tuned to this series...  Next up is HCPCS Level II.

So Many Books, So Little Time- Part 2

ICD-9-CM Has Procedure Codes?

In part two of my blog series about coding systems, I'd like to present ICD-9-CM, Volume 3. If you've taken classes that are preparing you to take the CPC exam, it might be news to you that ICD-9-CM has three volumes. Or procedure codes. So that's it: volume 3 of ICD-9-CM is procedure codes. 

Hospitals Use It

In part one of this series, I mentioned that HIPAA defines which code sets are used for each health care setting. Volume 3 ICD-9-CM codes are only mandated for hospital inpatient claims. They are a major factor in the determining DRG assignments, which drive hospital inpatient payments. 

Some hospitals also assign ICD-9-CM volume 3 codes for hospital outpatients as well. This is solely for data collection purposes but the codes get "scrubbed" off the outpatient bill and don't go to the insurance company. ICD-9-CM codes may be used to analyze volume of a particular type of procedure performed either as inpatient or outpatient. For example, most appendectomies are performed as outpatients, but if there are complications, a patient may need to be admitted as an inpatient. Hospitals often pull procedure volume for physician credentialing or planning purposes (e.g., to determine if a new specialty unit or more operating rooms are needed).  As a coding manager, which was a long time ago, I wrote reports that pulled data based solely on ICD-9 codes. We didn't use CPT codes to pull data at all at that time. 

Why You May Have Never Heard of It

If you've never heard of volume 3 codes in school, then it's likely that you are taking a coding course for physician coding and billing. Physicians don't use volume 3 of ICD-9. But as mentioned above, hospital coders are using it and if a hospital requires its coders to assign ICD-9 codes on outpatients, they are coding procedures using both ICD-9 and CPT procedure codes. That isn't as complex as it sounds because most hospitals use encoder software that has a crosswalk between the two code sets. Unfortunately, any time you try to map from one code set to another, there can be errors. If they were easily translatable, we wouldn't need two code sets!

Here's another critical tip: if you are buying ICD-9-CM code books, it can be super confusing because there are various publishers and lots of code books with different-yet-similar titles.  If you purchase an ICD-9-CM code book for physicians, it will have only volumes 1 and 2.  If you buy ICD-9-CM for hospitals, you get all three volumes, or the complete ICD-9-CM code set.

What the Codes Look Like

The code format of volume 3 ICD-9-CM codes is different from other code sets with two numeric digits followed by a decimal point and then one or two more numeric digits. The code category ranges are 00-99. It's the most straightforward of all of the HIPAA code sets. 

Some examples of volume 3 codes are:

• 47.0, Appendectomy
• 36.97, Insertion of drug-eluting coronary artery stent(s)

Commentary on ICD-9 Volume 3 and Argument for ICD-10

If you weren't trained on ICD-9-CM procedure codes, let me tell you, you aren't missing much. It is the least robust of all of the coding systems. There just simply aren't enough three to four-digit codes to keep up with rapidly evolving healthcare technology. We have run out of available codes. This is my biggest argument for ICD-10 implementation. I hate to say that we can live without a diagnosis code update, but in comparison to procedures, the need isn't as great. We absolutely need a new procedural coding system for ICD in order to keep up with emerging technologies. Plus - and this drives the OCD coder in me crazy - there are hernia repair codes in the eye procedure chapter because it's the only chapter with available codes!  

If you were trained in CPT first and have to learn ICD-9 volume 3 codes, you may find it very difficult, but only because you are trying to find codes as specific as CPT. You will be disappointed because ICD-9 codes aren't that specific. While there are appendectomy codes in CPT for open and laparoscopic approaches, ICD-9 appendectomy codes don't differentiate between open and scope procedures. 

Who Needs to Learn it?

If you're planning to take a certification exam, here are the certifications that have traditionally tested on volume 3 ICD-9-CM codes, but keep an eye on test details for the testing switch over to ICD-10:

• CCA (Certified Coding Associate) from AHIMA
• CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) from AHIMA
• CIC (Certified Inpatient Coder) from AAPC (new)

The COC (Certified Outpatient Coder), formerly called the CPC-H (Certified Professional Coder Hospital-based) does not focus at all on ICD-9 volume 3 codes. It does focus on hospital-related CPT codes and, of course ICD-9 diagnosis codes because we all use that. 

The bottom line on volume 3 codes, in my opinion, is that it is a coding system with a limited shelf life that isn't worth learning at this point in the game if we really move forward with ICD-10-CM/PCS in October (or unless you are planning to take one of the above-mentioned certification exams before ICD-10 is implemented).  There are enough existing coders to focus on the ICD-9 back work that will be involved after ICD-10 implementation and since this code set is only required for hospitals, it affects a pretty small population of coders overall.  But hey, at least you now know what it is and can have an intelligent conversation about it. 

Next up: Level I of HCPCS (AKA CPT)...

All I Want for Christmas is Fewer RAC Denials

This December, coders across the country got the ultimate Christmas present: a bill passed the House and Senate without the addition of language that would further delay ICD-10 implementation.  As we breathe a sigh of relief and get ready for a worry-free Christmas (at least as far as coding is concerned), we aren't fully exhaling until the end of March when the SGR bill comes up again for a vote.

But how many people are aware that there is another type of legislation at work that could cut down on the number of RAC denials we get?  Sounds almost too good to be true, doesn't it?  While the legislation is real, it's in very draft form right now.  Unfortunately, from where I sit, it also seems to be flying very low under the radar among my peers and I think it deserves some attention.

First of all, if you are not yet familiar with RACs, those are the Recovery Audit Contractors hired by Medicare to recoup improper payments to hospitals and physicians and return that money - with penalties - to the Medicare program.  The idea is great - run all the claims data through proprietary software and analyze it to see what looks weird.  This can be anything from improperly coded claims to admitting a patient to the hospital for a short stay rather than treating them as an outpatient.  Side note: contrary to what a lot of Medicare patients are told, hospitals do not get paid more for outpatient claims; they actually get paid less.  Medicare patients pay more out of pocket for hospital outpatient services and in most cases, hospitals get paid less than if patients were inpatient.  But if hospitals admit patients who could be treated as outpatients for short stays, they can have to pay the money back plus RAC penalties.

There are two types of RAC audits: automated and complex.  Automated reviews can be identified just by looking at data without reviewing the medical record.  Complex reviews require review of the medical record (e.g., for coding errors).  But the RACs don't have the final say; there is a rather lengthy appeals process that providers can - and should - take advantage of because several RAC denials have been overturned.  The problem is, there are about eight levels of appeals that end with the administrative law judge and currently there is a backlog of appeals at the administrative law judge level.

Enter the Hospital Improvements for Payment (HIP) act of 2014 (don't you just love that so many healthcare laws start with "hip?!").  This is a draft proposal aimed at reducing RAC audit backlogs by creating a new Hospital Prospective Payment System (HPPS) for Medicare short stays (less than 3 days length of stay), including observation services.  In short, it calls for the following;

• Creation of the new HPPS by the year 2020
• Creation of an alternate reimbursement system for short stays from fiscal year 2016 to fiscal year 2019 as data is gathered for the 2020 system
• Elimination of RAC reviews for short hospital stays until HPPS is implemented

By now, there may be a lot of people jumping up and down with joy, but of course there is a catch.  The proposal calls for dual submission of claims by hospitals in fiscal year 2016 in order to establish payments.  This means that hospitals would have to submit both ICD-10-PCS and CPT codes for short hospital stays for 2016.  Yes, the proposal assumes that we will be coding ICD-10-PCS in fiscal year 2016, which incidentally, begins on October 1, 2015.  The proposal would also implement an ICD-10-PCS to CPT crosswalk.  If the dual coding of claims didn't make you nervous, the crosswalk should.  I've never met a crosswalk I trusted.  Let's face it, if one coding system easily crosswalked to another, then we wouldn't need two different coding systems, would we?  I can see lots of operational challenges starting with the productivity dive that would surely occur and ending with training challenges since it's getting harder to find inpatient coders who code CPT and many facilities have decided not to train their outpatient coders in ICD-10-PCS.

Read All About It

This is just a small snipit of what HIP is about, but I encourage you to read up on it yourself, starting with information from the House Committee on Ways and Means and checking out the industry commentary to see where you stand.  Here are some links you should check out:

• Document from the House Ways and Means Committee - section by section of proposed bill 
• AHA Comments to Rep. Kevin Brady Re: Hospital Improvements for Payment Act of 2014 Discussion Draft dated December 18, 2014

Let Your Voice be Heard

For more information from the House Ways and Means Committee, including information on submitting comments, click here.  This proposal has the potential to rock the world of hospital reimbursement (again) and has some definite pros and cons.  While it's still only a draft and is not a done deal, it's time to take the opportunity to let our voices be heard and submit comments.

Diversity - and Flexibility - is Key

I've been pretty quiet lately around the blogosphere and some may even think I've disappeared.  And for about a year, up until about October, I really had disappeared a bit to plan and live through my wedding.  After a couple months of an identity crisis, I'll announce here that Coder Coach Kristi Stanton has disappeared and the new Coder Coach is now Kristi Pollard.  The new last name will take a couple of decades to get used to, but I am hopeful that if I'm quoted in the future, it won't be as the first actress to play Buffy the Vampire Slayer. True story.

For the last couple of months I've been waiting for inspiration to strike so I could once again become passionate about the blog.  I've been observing.  Don't get me wrong, with all the legislation and talk about more ICD-10 delays, I've also been writing my congressmen, participating in Twitter rallies (follow me at @codercoach), and making posts on Facebook, but I've spent more time just watching.  Watching the industry.  Watching my colleagues.  Watching hopeful coding professionals trying to break their way in.  And this is what I've deduced: if you want to make it in the coding field, you've got to diversify.

It didn't take long after the ICD-10 delay was announced in March to see the fallout.  Some of our clients stayed the course while others postponed some training.  There have been very few canceled trainings all together for ICD-10. A couple of months ago, I dusted off a couple of our CPT training manuals that hadn't been updated in awhile to get them ready to train in 2015.  It was comforting to fall back into something that still required the skill of a senior consultant that was a sure thing.  Of course, I hope for a future with ICD-10 and will continue to advocate for it, but there's always CPT as well.

Here is my message to the coding students and aspiring coders.  Coding is not steady and it's not comfortable.  Even without ICD-10, annual updates to the coding industry can rock your world (case in point all the new lower GI endoscopy CPT codes for 2015).  This field has a tendency to attract detail-oriented people who like to organize everything in pretty and neat little black and white buckets.  As coders, we don't like gray areas.  Well, as a coder, be ready for gray, purple, and yellow polka-dotted areas.  You need to be flexible.  You need to be ready when the House throws language into a bill at midnight the night before a vote that will impact your daily work.  And you need a backup plan just in case.

I feel a bit like a financial adviser as I tell you you need to diversify.  DI.  VER.  SI.  FY.  Don't put all your coding eggs in one basket.  As someone who has coded in ICD-9-CM, ICD-10-CM/PCS, CPT, and HCPCS, I understand what I'm asking you to do.  It's not easy.  They all have different rules and methodologies.  I understand that I'm asking you for a lifetime of education.  But the payoff for doing the work is immeasurable.  And the more you have exposure to, the more marketable you are as a coder.

It's HIPAA, not HIPPA

Just for the record, it's HIPAA, not HIPPA. The actual legislation is called the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), not the Health Information Patient Privacy Act (HIPPA). I can't tell you how many times I've seen the latter referred to. As a matter of fact, a colleague of mine once emailed a company after seeing HIPPA repeatedly displayed on their website. Once she educated them, they offered her a job!

Privacy and Security
It's true - when most of us think HIPAA, we think privacy of health information. And that's a huge part of it. We may even think, as coders, that we are only impacted by HIPAA when it comes to keeping the medical record information we read during the coding process confidential. But HIPAA is much bigger than keeping health information from falling into the wrong hands. The true intent of the law was the make sure people retained insurance coverage as they changed jobs. It includes several provisions for sharing data electronically and in order to enact this sharing of information, it was prudent that privacy and security provisions be built into the infrastructure of HIPAA.

As coders, we will likely be required to sign confidentiality agreements with employers. We will be subjected to criminal background checks and possibly credit checks. We will be forbidden from discussing that interesting ER case in the elevator. We won't be able to look up medical record information for friends and family. Well, I suppose you could, but make no mistake - there is very little to no tolerance for HIPAA violations. I've seen people dismissed immediately for violating patient confidentiality. I saw this most at a celebrity-frequented hospital where people tweeted or posted on Facebook when someone famous was admitted or they released specific protected health information (PHI). In this day and age, it's not uncommon for employers to have a social networking policy that addresses Facebook and Twitter.

And while privacy of PHI is a coder's concern, there are other provisions within HIPAA that impact us. I meet a lot of people who want to code so they can work from home. But setting up a home office as a coder means more than getting a computer and internet connection. Along with ensuring patient privacy comes security of PHI as well. The home workstation must be secure from breaches including hacking of computer systems and stolen computers. It's a natural concern when setting up a home office - who will have access to the work computer and if there are multiple people living in the household, what provisions are being taken to ensure that the workstation is secure? Some home coders may be subjected to a home evaluation by an employer to ensure the workspace is secure.

HIPAA-Defined Code Sets
Still not convinced that HIPAA impacts you greatly as a coder? How about the codes you use? Those are also intertwined into HIPAA legislation. Electronic exchange of information between two different parties requires specific transactions. For example, the submission of an insurance claim by a provider to a payer is one such HIPAA transaction. There is another for communication from the payer back to the provider about what was paid on each account. These HIPAA transactions require a common language between the parties. And that language is often codes. As such, HIPAA defines which code sets are approved for reporting diagnoses and procedures in order to ensure uniformity.

There are six code sets approved for various uses and time periods as defined by HIPAA:

• HCPCS (Healthcare Common Procedural Coding System, Level II)for ancillary services and procedures
• CPT-4 (Current Procedural Terminology) for hospital outpatient and physician services
• CDT (Current Dental Terminology) for dental services
• NDC (National Drug Codes) for over-the-counter and prescription medications
• ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision) for diagnoses and hospital inpatient procedures - currently used
• ICD-10 (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision) for diagnoses and hospital inpatient procedures - effective October 1, 2013

The HIPAA Version 5010 Standard
Most coders and coding students are aware of the massive effort currently under way to migrate from ICD-9 to ICD-10 in 2013. Many are not aware, though, of the updates to the HIPAA transactions that must occur in order to make ICD-10 data electronically exchangeable. We currently operate under the HIPAA version 4010 and as of January 1, 2012, we will use HIPAA version 5010. This upgrade includes many other updates besides those to get us ready for ICD-10. The impact of 5010 implementation is currently being felt by payers and providers as they gear up for testing these new transactions beginning in July. As of January 1 of next year, CMS will not accept any electronic data in the old format. And that means failure to comply will hold up claims submission and payment.

The 5010 upgrade is probably invisible to most coders in an organization. It's very much an information technology (IT) initiative and involves inventorying systems and working with vendors and payers to ensure everyone has updated to the 5010 standard. In addition to updating the number of bytes available to report ICD codes and allowing for alpha-numeric entry (instead of mostly numeric with ICD-9), it also includes updates to allow for reporting the present on admission indicator, eliminates the release of superfluous PHI for insurance certification and verification, and eliminates numerous other inefficiencies in reporting data electronically.

So keep an eye out for the acronym HIPAA - it will come into play a lot in your career as a coder. As for HIPPA, I still can't figure out what that is. There is no Health Information Patient Privacy Act, so as best as I can tell, a hippa is a baby hippo!

Two Track Mind: ICD-10 and Vascular CPT Coding

Do I seem like a stranger? Because I feel like a stranger. These days I have two things on my mind: ICD-10 and the CPT coding changes for vascular procedures. And pretty much anything outside of these two topics isn't getting much of my attention lately - including blogging. So in an effort to provide you with a recent blog post - and to keep my attention focused on the tasks at hand - I figured I would blog about what I've been up to recently. This will give some insight into the challenges that existing coding professionals are facing today.

Before I let you in on what's been on my plate, I should mention that there is no crossover between these two topics. They are two very different aspects of coding that use two entirely different parts of the human brain. Or at least, they use two very different parts of my brain! When asked why I am so deeply involved in two areas that are so vastly different, all I can say is, I love a challenge. And challenged I've been!

CPT Code Changes

I know what you're thinking. "It's March, Kristi, the CPT code changes were effective January 1 so that's old news." Well, the reality is, it takes some time to get used to new codes. Since I spend a significant amount of time as a subject matter expert (SME) for my clients in the realm of cardiac catheterization and peripheral vascular interventional radiology coding and charging, I can tell you that 2011 has presented my clients with some significant challenges. First of all - the deletion and nearly complete overhaul of the cardiac catheterization section of CPT. If you have a chance to look at a 2011 CPT codebook (I recommend the Professional Edition since it shows all code changes in color-coded fashion), and compare it to a 2010 book, you'll see what I mean.

My biggest challenge? They changed the code descriptions and code numbers, but in many cases used the same digits - just in a different order. A dyslexic's nightmare and yes, yours truly is dyslexic. There are a couple of perks now - we no longer have to worry about coding left ventriculography separately, it's bundled into the left heart catheterization code, and for the most part, supervision and interpretation (S&I) codes are a thing of the past.

The peripheral vascular coding is getting really interesting. This year the American Medical Association (AMA) decided that leg revascularization procedures could be more effectively reported using bundled codes. This new Wal-Mart approach to coding is becoming more commonplace in interventional radiology (IR) coding. What do I mean about Wal-Mart codes? Well, vascular IR coding has historically involved the separate reporting of all procedure codes, including the catheterization or approach, which is typically a no-no in coding. The end result is often a list of 4 or 5 codes to describe one procedure. Wal-Mart coding is "one stop shopping" where everything is included in a single code. Maybe I should call them Ragu codes for those who remember the old Ragu pasta sauce commercials. You know - "It's in there!" This Wal-Mart or Ragu concept of coding means unlearning many complex IR coding guidelines that have been ingrained in our brains over the past few years.

The new leg revascularization codes are set up based on a heirarchy - angioplasty followed by atherectomy followed by stenting - with newly established vascular territories. The iliac territory consists of three vessels. The femoral-popliteal territory is treated as a single vessel. And the tibioperoneal territory as three vessels. To make things more confusing, the AMA deleted all of the atherectomy codes from Category I in CPT and moved them to Category III.

And because IR is arguably the most difficult area of CPT coding (as an IR SME I may be biased), someone has to research all this and educate coders on the changes. Thus, I find myself updating training materials with these changes and presenting the changes. If the areas of cardiac catheterization and IR interest you, I suggest you acquire a solid foundation on basic medical coding first. These 2 areas are difficult for even the most seasoned coders.

ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS

Well if you're a coder, a coding student, or have done any research at all about the coding field, you know we're in for a huge change with the implementation of ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS in 2013. I would like to say that all organizations are in full swing and getting ready for the transition. What I'm hearing as I talk with organizations, though, is that they are just getting started - a full 1-2 years behind the recommended schedule.

In recent weeks I've taken my ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer recertification through AHIMA and kicked off a Task Force through the Colorado Health Information Management Association (CHIMA). As chairperson of the ICD-10 Task Force here in Colorado, I've had the chance to meet with providers and organizations who will be impacted by the ICD-10 code sets. And I am also embarking on a project through AHIMA to get ensure that Colorado Medicaid is ready for the transition.

In addition to that, I'm preparing presentations for the spring conference season and developing ICD-10 tools and training programs for my company. Here's a shameless plug for The Wilshire Group - just in case you're looking for some additional ICD-10 references! My favorite part is the ICD-10 countdown. I've set this as one of my home pages so I can feel the urgency every time I open my browser!

Prepare for Your Challenge

If you really have a passion for coding, then this commentary got you really excited to learn more. I wish I could properly convey how much more difficult coding is than simply looking up a code in a book. And I wish you could get an accurate depiction of what your daily work will look like as a coder. But the truth is, you don't really "get it" until you get into it and although I know so many are frustrated because they can't get the required experience to get hired, I've said it time and again - keep trying to find an angle to get the experience you need to get your foot in the door. And once you're in, I hope you're ready for the challenge because it's a constant learning experience.

It's Coding Season!

I'm sometimes asked if there's a busy time of year for coders or if it's pretty much status quo. As a matter of fact, there is a busy time of year for coders and this is it!

Every year, we gear up for all the upcoming year's coding changes. That means letting coders know which codes have been deleted, expanded, and added and letting coders, physicians, administrators, and revenue cycle personnel know how code-based reimbursement will be affected in the coming year. This may seem rather straightforward, but since we work with more than one code set with different implementation dates, fourth quarter of each year can be pretty crazy!

ICD-9-CM Codes
The ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes are updated annually with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) fiscal year (FY), which begins October 1. These codes are used to report diagnoses for all health care settings and procedures for hospital inpatients. Right now, you will find coders acquiring their FY 2011 ICD-9-CM code books and attending seminars on the code updates. Some of this year's highlights include:

Diagnosis Codes:

• A new code for obesity hypoventilation syndrome
• Expansion of fluid overload code to differentiate between transfusion-associated fluid overload and other causes
  
• Expansion of the avian flu codes to include manifestations of the disease
• Expansion of the blood transfusion incompatibility codes to differentiate between ABO and Rh incompatibility
• Additional personal history codes
• Expansion of the body mass index (BMI) codes up to allow for classification of BMI in varying increments up to 70 and over
• A new section of V codes to report retained foreign body fragments
• A new section of V codes to report the number of placentae associated with multiple fetal gestations

ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are within the public domain and the 2011 revisions can be found on the National Center for Health Statistics' (NCHS) website.

Procedure Codes:

• New code for placement of a central venous catheter under imaging guidance
• New codes for carotid sinus stimulation components and devices

Changes to the ICD-9-CM procedure codes are within the public domain and are available on CMS' website.

IPPS and MS-DRGs
The inpatient prospective payment system (IPPS), the system used for Medicare payments for inpatient hospitalizations, is also updated each year on October 1. This includes recalibration of the relative weights for the classification system used under IPPS - the Medicare severity diagnosis related groups (MS-DRGs). This year, the major changes to the MS-DRGs include:

• A documentation and coding adjustment of -2.9%, wherein CMS will discount payments in FY 2011 to hospitals by 2.9% in order to remain budget neutral. The attempt to remain budget neutral is to counteract the financial impact of implementing a severity-based DRG system 3 years ago.
• The addition of 12 new quality measures to be reported by hospitals under the Reporting Hospital Quality Data for Annual Payment Update (RHQDAPU) program.
• A revamping of Medicare's 3-day rule, which bundles payment for outpatient services provided within 3 days of inpatient admission into the inpatient payment.

Changes to the IPPS and MS-DRGs are available in the public domain through CMS' website as well as the Federal Register.

CPT Codes
Changes to CPT codes become effective with each calendar year on January 1. These codes are used to report procedures and services for physicians and hospital outpatients. Because CPT codes are owned and maintained by the American Medical Association (AMA), they are not available in the public domain. As such, finding a list of upcoming CPT code changes is often a closely guarded secret until the CPT book is published, generally around November or December each year.

The best way to get updates on upcoming CPT codes is to attend either the AHIMA's Annual Clinical Coding Meeting (September 25 and 26, 2010 in Orlando) for the national code update or the AMA's CPT and RBRVS Symposium (November 10-12, 2010 in Chicago). After the AMA's Symposium, it's common to see articles appearing in coding journals and publications discussing the upcoming coding changes.

HCPCS Codes
HCPCS codes are developed and maintained by CMS to report services, supplies, and procedures that are not found in CPT. They are utilized by physicians and hospital outpatient reporting. HCPCS codes are potentially updated quarterly, although an update isn't always required that frequently. HCPCS codebooks may be purchased on an annual basis with the calendar year and quarterly updates are found on CMS' website. HCPCS codes are in the public domain and general information about their use can also be found on CMS' website.

OPPS and APCs
The outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS) is the payment system utilized by Medicare to pay for hospital outpatient claims. This is updated on January 1 each year, along with the CPT and HCPCS codes. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on August 3 and CMS accepted public comment on that proposed rule through August 31. CMS will review the comments, make final determinations, and finalize the rule by November 1.

OPPS changes include recalibration of the relative weights for ambulatory payment classifications (APCs), the categories used to group similar procedures for payment.

Some highlights of the proposed rule include:

• Two areas that have undergone frequent changes or requested changes will remain static for 2011: drug and substance administration and hospital outpatient evaluation and management visit guidelines
• Establishment of a list of services that must be performed under physician supervision
• Removal of three orthopedic codes from the inpatient-only list, making them reimbursable as outpatients under Medicare
• A new method of paying for separately payable drugs
  

Information about OPPS and APCs can be found on CMS' website.

Physician Fee Schedule and RVUs
Physician payment, as outlined in the physician fee schedule, is updated annually on January 1 by Medicare. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on July 13 and the comment period ended on August 24. The physician fee schedule outlines the relative value units (RVUs) for each CPT code based on the amount of work the physician performs. Information on the Medicare physician fee schedule and RVUs is within the public domain and can be found on Medicare's website.

Too Much Information?
It sounds like an awful lot of information, but remember this - not every coding professional needs to learn the ins and outs of every coding and payment system. Because I work with hospital clients, I will be focusing on everything but the physician fee schedule. And those who work in physician offices will focus on ICD-9-CM diagnosis code changes, CPT/HCPCS code changes, and the physician fee schedule only. Even so, it's enough of an impact to call fourth quarter "coding season!"

What Does ICD-10 Really Mean to New Coders?

If you haven't heard yet, the coding system is changing on October 1, 2013 from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS. I have told a lot of new coders and coding students that this gives them a more level playing field when it comes to getting hired on as a coder. But 2013 is still 3 years away. If you are graduating soon and will be looking for a coding position, what does ICD-10 really mean to you? Should you start training on ICD-10 now so that you are well-positioned for the coding switch?

Why ICD-10 is a Good Thing for Wanna-be Coders
I always start with the prerequisite disclaimer when I talk about coders: I am a coder, so I can poke a little fun at our idiosyncrasies. Many coders don't like change. And that's part of what makes them so successful as coders - the ability to work in a routine environment coding patient record after patient record. So to coders who really dislike change, ICD-10 is like an atomic bomb. I've heard some say they will retire or find a new line of work when ICD-10 is implemented. Add those open positions to the decreased productivity that is inevitable with the implementation of a new coding system, health care reform, and the current national coder shortage, and what we have is an awesome opportunity for new coders to enter the field.

Coders who learn ICD-10 in school will likely be called upon by their new employers to share their knowledge of the new coding system with more established coders. Getting into ICD-10 on the ground level means more opportunities for new coders in the future.

Why ICD-10 Coding Jobs Won't be Super Easy to Land
While the need for more coders trained in ICD-10 will be there in 2013 and the codes themselves will be different, the one thing that makes a coder truly special will not change: navigating the medical record, deciphering medical terminology, and applying coding guidelines. These are skills that are not easily taught in school - this is the "experience" that employers are looking for when they say they want two to three years of coding experience. And while new coders right out of school will have oodles of exposure to the ICD-10 code sets, experienced coders will have that other type of experience - the type that goes beyond looking up a code in a book. That skill will still be coveted by employers.

I talk to a lot of people who are pondering changing careers and getting into coding because of what they've heard about ICD-10 and the future need for more coders. But just because we're nearing this massive change doesn't mean that it will be any easier to get hired as a coder in 2013 than it is now. There are many considerations you need to make in determining when ICD-10 training is appropriate for you.

What Kind Of Coder Do You Want to Be?
I have been trained in ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS. The only reason I am trained is because I intend to do a lot of ICD-10 training myself and those who are getting educated now are the educators. I recently had someone tell me she planned to wait a couple years to get trained in ICD-10 because she heard it was so different from ICD-9-CM and she didn't want to have to learn a dying coding system. So let's start with the first question you need to ask yourself: What kind of coder do you want to be?

This is important because ICD-10 is divided into two code sets: ICD-10-CM for diagnoses, which will be used by all health care settings, and ICD-10-PCS, which will be used only by hospitals for reporting procedures. CPT will not be impacted by ICD-10 implementation and the format of ICD-10-CM is very similar to ICD-9-CM (granted all the code numbers are different!). I see the transition from ICD-9-CM diagnoses to ICD-10-CM being relatively easy (notice I said relatively - it will still be a bear!).

ICD-10-PCS is a whole different story. The procedure portion of ICD-10 is set up like no codebook we've ever seen. There is no tabular listing - only a series of tables that allow the coder to "build a code." Furthermore, the level of detail and the coder knowledge required to code an ICD-10-PCS code as opposed to an ICD-9-CM procedure code is astronomical. For example, there is one ICD-9-CM procedure code for repair of an artery. In ICD-10-PCS, the coder will need to know which specific artery was repaired and how that repair was approached.

So when people say ICD-10 is very different from ICD-9-CM, I have to ask, which code set? While the code numbers and code format will be drastically different, the way we code will be the same for ICD-10-CM as it is now for ICD-9-CM diagnosis coding. But ICD-10-PCS is like... well, CPT on steroids. The level of detail in ICD-10-PCS coding is much more specific than what's required even by CPT standards.

Why the long explanation? Well, if you plan to code for a physician office, you won't need to learn ICD-10-PCS. So I say, go ahead and learn ICD-9-CM now because the main change for you will be the code numbers themselves (and a couple of coding guidelines). If you plan to code for a hospital, you need to be prepared for a whole new game with procedure coding when ICD-10 is implemented. The good news is, ICD-9-CM procedure coding really isn't very difficult, so I don't see anyone "wasting" time by learning it now until 2013.

Do You Want to be More Than a Coder?
Let's get one thing perfectly clear here and now. The implementation date for ICD-10 (both CM and PCS) is October 1, 2013. There will be no push on that date. Everyone will be expected to be up and running on October 1, 2013. Rumor has it that this date will get pushed back, but everything I have heard from government representatives says that there will be no push on that date. So spread the word!

Let me get something else perfectly clear: ICD-9-CM will not "die" out. There will be a need for people to know ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure coding after October 1, 2013. Particularly if you work in a hospital, data analysis is often performed based on codes and we often compare case loads from year to year to see which services are growing, which are waning, and which are needed in the community that aren't currently offered. In the calendar year 2013, we will have data from both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10. That means a need to be able to crosswalk between codes for data analysis. And someone within the hospital needs to understand both systems. That might be you.

Take the Next 3 Years to Get Experienced
The biggest complaint I hear from wanna-be coders is that all employers are requiring 2-3 years of experience. So if my math is correct, if you wait 3 years to learn ICD-10 and it takes another 2-3 years to get experience, you won't really be working as a coder for another 5-6 years. Why wait? While it doesn't make too much sense to get trained specifically on ICD-10 right now because you won't remember it in 3 years, it does make sense to get hired on as a coder and start positioning yourself to take on a coding position in 2013. This might mean taking an entry-level position where you are exposed to the medical record, codes, or billing. Don't wait till 2013 because there will be a mad dash and employers who have open positions in 2013 probably won't have time to train someone who is complete green. As a matter of fact, I have been encouraging facilities to make education a part of their organizational culture now to lessen the impact of ICD-10 implementation.

Now is the time to hone your skills in coder detective work - where you find information in the medical record, how the patient's symptoms come together in the disease process, anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, and pharmacology. And the good news is, learning this now means you can also apply it to ICD-9-CM now and it will make it easier to make the switch to ICD-10.

Talk to Your School
If you're enrolled in a coding or HIM program or plan to enroll in one, do your homework. Ask the program director or coding instructor what the school's plan is for the ICD-10 transition. They should be referencing timelines like the one posted on AHIMA's website. If they don't have a plan now, you should be concerned.

Don't Hurry Up and Wait
I suppose the best way to sum up this posting is to say this: think of your coding education as a journey rather than focusing on the destination. Go ahead and get trained in ICD-9-CM now - it will not be a waste of time or money. Yes, you will need to train in ICD-10, but if you're credentialed, you will have every opportunity to train through AHIMA and the AAPC. And if you're employed, your employer will be be focused on training as well. Plus, I really do believe that those coders who know both ICD-9-CM and ICD-10 and can analyze and compare data across both code sets will be hot commodities.

Top Ten Reasons to be a Coding Professional

I would love to take credit for making up this list of reasons to be a coder, but I can't. It's a list that came out about 15 years ago and I believe it was published in The Journal of AHIMA. This list was popular when I first started coding in the mid-90s. I have yet to see an electronic copy of it, but found a photocopied list in a scrapbook (er, chart) my coworkers gave me when I left my first coding job. This list graced my bulletin board for a long time!

Some of these are a bit dated, but most still ring pretty true and I updated Ms. Scichilone's credentials as she is still a well-respected practicing HIM professional. I hope you enjoy this little bit of levity!

Top Ten Reasons to be a Coding Professional
by Rita Scichilone, MHSA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CHC

10. You love to read really small print.

9. Carrying around code books is better weight training than those cute little dumbbells you buy at the fitness store.

8. Classification systems and nomenclatures make great party conversation. "I'll bet you don't know what SNODO* is!"

7. If a patient can do it, get it, or hurt it, you can code it.

6. You love explaining what you do each day - "Oh, I typically transform sixty-five or so pages of complicated clinical information written in a foreign language (medical terminology) into numeric codes that will fit on a one-page form."

5. When you get carpal tunnel syndrome from turning those pages and burning up a computer keyboard, you'll know how to code it for your insurance company.

4. You can impress your friends by saying you'll meet them after work for some 94.38 at your favorite hangout."**

3. You are passionate about acronyms (DRG, APG, HCPCS, HCFA, HEDIS, CPT, UHDDS, ICD-9-CM, CHMIS, WEDI, UB-92)***

2. When you hear "The AR days dropped again today," you get goosebumps.

1. The eternal mysteries of ICD-9-CM and HCPCS CPT-4 are transformed at your touch into essential mastery of critical clinical data indexing that can change the health of America!


*Standard Nomenclature of Disease and Operations (SNODO) was a coding system that predated ICD-9-CM

**94.38, Supportive verbal psychotherapy

*** Ambulatory patient groups (APGs) were proposed prior to the use of ambulatory payment classifications (APCs); the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) was renamed the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2000, the uniform bill 1992 has been updated and replaced with the uniform bill 2004 (UB-04)

Repost: Make $40K Working from Home as a Medical Coder!

We've all seen or heard those bold tag lines in print ads and on television and the radio advertising the lucrative opportunities in medical coding and billing. But can companies and schools who make these claims really get you ready to enter the work force? Maybe, but there are some steps you should take before you give your money to any education institution. Let me first state that I am neither here to endorse nor denounce any school or college. I am simply trying to arm prospective students with the knowledge they need to make the best choices about their future careers.


Step 1: Assess Your Community's Need for Coders
Before you hand any money over for that coding program that promises to deliver, you need to do a little homework about your local job market. Yes, it is true - there is a national shortage of coders and the need for more coders in the future is only expected to increase. But that doesn't mean that coders are needed everywhere. Some places may be saturated with coders and others may have a desperate need for them. Are you willing to relocate in order to get the job of your dreams?


The "American Dream" of the coder is to work from home, but the reality is most remote coders are experienced. Most employers require new coders to work in the office setting before allowing them to log in from the comfort of their pj's and fuzzy slippers. So if you are banking on working from home, add a couple years onto your telecommuting goal. If you aren't willing to relocate and there aren't coding positions in your area, you will have a tough time finding a job. While you're searching your local job market for coding positions, see which coding certifications they are requiring. This is going to be very important for Step 3 below.


You should also start to look at what the salaries are for your area. Salaries will range by region and health care setting. Hospital coding jobs typically pay more but they also typically require more expensive education.


Step 2: Determine What Type of Health Care Setting You Want to Work In

This is a tough one to determine if you don't know anything about coding. But think about what type of environment you prefer to work in: physician office or hospital? You may think, "What's the difference?" Plenty. Not only does each setting have its own preferred set of coding credentials, the coding rules and sometimes even the coding systems differ according to health care setting.


Coding for the physician setting generally involves both coding and billing for physician time and effort. This can vary from coding for one or a small group of physicians to coding for large billing offices or health maintenance organizations with hundreds of physicians. Often physician coders become very knowledgeable of a specific specialty, such as cardiology or orthopedics.


Coding in the hospital is segregated from billing. Because coders are coding for the hospital resources (e.g., equipment, nursing and ancillary staff), they are coding entire hospital stays rather than individual physician visits. Most hospital coders code a variety of cases and generally aren't specialized - although some difficult areas of coding like interventional radiology may result in the training of specialty coders within the hospital.


I'm over simplifying the differences, but you get the gist of it. You may want to start by perusing websites for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and read through their online information to see if one triggers an interest over the other. While it's not a hard and fast rule, AAPC-credentialled coders are typically recognized more by physician groups and AHIMA-credentialled coders are recognized more by hospitals.


Step 3: Pick a School That Will Prepare You for Certification

Can you get a coding job without coding certification? Yes. Is it likely? No. If you want to be a coder, you will need to be certified. Pick your school based on the certification it will prepare you for and be wary of schools that offer their own certification - they are typically not accepted by employers. Your future employer should be determining what type of coding certification you need, not the school. The two reigning accrediting bodies for coders that are recognized by employers are the AAPC and AHIMA.


Probably the best way to pick an educational program is to go to either the AAPC or AHIMA's websites and choose one endorsed by the organization with the certification you aspire to get. By doing this, you know you are getting your coding education from instructors and/or schools who have been "checked out" by industry experts.


The AAPC has online and instructor-led courses that prepare the student to take either the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) or Certified Professional Coder-Hospital (CPC-H) coding certificate. Some of these courses may be applied toward credit at the University of Phoenix. There are also various other colleges and schools that will inform you that they prepare their students for AAPC-certification.

AHIMA does things a little differently by accrediting colleges that meet their stringent requirements for program content. While AHIMA has historically been known for certifying individuals who have completed either associates or bachelors degrees at AHIMA-accredited instutions, they also realize the need for coding certificate programs. Many of the schools that offer AHIMA-accredited coding programs also offer degree programs and you may find the counsellors trying to talk you into a degree program. If all you want is to be a certified coder and are not seeking an associates or bachelors degree, don't be distracted from your goal. Stand your ground and tell them you only want the coding certificate. If you are seeking an AHIMA-accredited coding certificate program that will prepare you for AHIMA certification, go to their website (http://www.ahima.org/) and search schools in your area. There are also search options for distance learning if there isn't a school in your area. AHIMA has the following coding credentials:

• Certified Coding Associate (CCA)


• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)


• Certified Coding Specialist-Physician (CCS-P)
  

As mentioned previously, which credential you get depends on what employers in your area are looking for. You can get dual certification through both AHIMA and the AAPC if you choose.

Step 4: Get Specific Information About Course Requirements

If you choose a coding school that is not AHIMA-certified or affiliated with the AAPC, you need to look at the course content and determine if it will meet your needs. If you plan to work in a physician office setting, you will need to learn ICD-9-CM diagnosis and CPT procedure coding. You should also look to see if there are any classes about physician reimbursement (look for terms like fee schedule, and relative value units (RVUs).

If you want to work for a hospital, you will need to learn ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure coding as well as CPT coding. Hopefully your program also has at least an introduction to hospital code-based reimbursement including diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and ambulatory payment classifications (APCs).

These tidbits of information may sound like Greek to you if you are just beginning to research the coding industry, but you need to look for these things. You may find a school that also has classes regarding front desk procedures - this is typically an indication that the class will prepare you for a position in a physician's office. If you find a program that includes information about electronic medical records and computers, that's a bonus. You will definitely be using a computer as a coder and you should become familiar with the types of systems you will be using.

You should ask questions about the teaching staff. Are they credentialled themselves? I've met many coders who are excellent and aren't certified, but if you plan to get certified, you should have an instructor who's been there and taken the exam.

What kind of curriculum do they use and where does it come from? Is it written by credentialled coders? This isn't as important if you found your class through the AAPC or AHIMA since all of their curriculum is generally pre-approved. If it's another school, though, it could be crucial.

You absolutely need to ask if you will be required to do an internship or externship. If the answer is no, you should reconsider your education options. I got my first job from one of my internships and it's an excellent way to get practical experience. If they do require an internship/externship, you should ask if it's your responsibility to find an site or the school's. AHIMA-credentialled schools generally work with internship sites to place their students. If you have to find your own practicum site, you need to start networking and finding an institution that will work with you. This generally means signing an agreement with the internship/externship site and you may need to initiate that. The AAPC has Project Xtern, a program that teams aspiring coders with externship sites to get them coding experience. Get more information on Project Xtern at this link.

Step 5: Ask About Job Placement

Will the school help you find a job? If they say yes, ask specific question about their job placement rate and what type of employers they work with. If not, don't despair - you may have to send out 50 resumes and apply to some non-traditional coding jobs, but you can get a coding-related job if you are passionate about the industry and persistent with your efforts.

Step 6: Never Stop Learning

Once you get your coding education completed and get your certification, it's only the beginning. In order to maintain your coding certification, you will need to submit continuing education hours to your credentialling organization every year or two. The only constant in coding is that it's dynamic - once you learn the rules, they often change them. So if you are looking to master an industry that will remain static, reconsider your career choice.

What if I Have a Degree/Certificate From an Unrecognized School?

It happens. Maybe you've already received your degree in medical coding and just found out you spent a lot of money and no one recognizes your degree or certification. What now? It's not the end. What you need to do is make sure you are a member of either the AAPC or AHIMA and get credentialled. You might need to set up your own internship or externship site and do a lot of reading and online research to catch up on some of the things you might have missed. Most of all, you need to start networking with industry professionals, so join your local AAPC chapter or AHIMA component state association.

ICD-10-CM, ICD-10-PCS... ICD-WHEN?

The buzz in the industry right now is the implementation of new code sets for reporting diagnoses and hospital inpatient procedures. The new coding systems, collectively referred to as ICD-10, will be implemented on October 1, 2013. That may seem like a long time away, but to coders, it's like telling everyone in America that they have less than three years until we only speak Japanese here and that English will be outlawed. In other words, it's a big deal. So many experienced coders and coding students are all asking the same question: when do we need to learn ICD-10?

ICD-9-CM vs. ICD-10?
First, let's get straight what exactly we're talking about. Currently, we use the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) to report diagnoses and hospital inpatient procedures. ICD-9-CM is divided into three volumes:

• Volume 1 - Tabular list of diagnosis codes (lists all codes with their descriptions)
• Volume 2 - Index of diseases
• Volume 3 - Tabular list and index of procedures

ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are used by every health care setting (e.g., hospitals, physicians) to report patients' conditions. Volume 3 procedure codes, on the other hand, are used only for reporting procedures on patients in the hospital inpatient setting. They are not used for hospital outpatient or physician services, which are reported using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes. As a result, you will see ICD-9-CM code books sold as either the physician's edition (volumes 1 and 2 only) or hospital edition (volumes 1, 2, and 3).

It seems logical, then, that ICD-10-CM will replace ICD-9-CM, but it's only partially true. The diagnosis portion of ICD-10 is part of the clinical modification (ICD-10-CM) and the procedure portion is part of ICD-10-PCS (Procedure Coding System). In order to simplify, some articles will refer to the system collectively as ICD-10 or ICD-10-CM/PCS. When it comes time for training, though, you want to make sure you are getting trained in both CM and PCS if you plan to work as a hospital inpatient coder.

Why Change?
I've often been asked if it's such a big deal to switch why we don't just stick with ICD-9-CM. There are many reasons for making the switch to ICD-10, but here are the main reasons:

• ICD-10-CM/PCS offers better specificity in reporting diagnoses and procedures
• The US is the only G7 nation that does not use a version of ICD-10, which makes comparing data worldwide difficult
• The structure of Volume 3 ICD-9-CM codes does not allow for proper expansion of the code set in order to report new technologies

Will CPT be Affected by ICD-10?
When the proposed rule announcing implementation of ICD-10 was released, there was a lengthy discussion about the possibility of replacing CPT with ICD-10-PCS. Researchers determined, however, that the two coding systems were developed for different purposes, which did not make them interchangeable. CPT was developed originally to report physician services while ICD-10-PCS was developed for hospitals. The use of CPT will not be impacted by implementation of ICD-10-PCS and it will still be required for reporting on physician and outpatient hospital claims.

How Different is ICD-10?
While the general format and look of the ICD-10-CM tabular section doesn't look too different from ICD-9-CM, the codes themselves do. Existing ICD-9-CM code format is 3-5 numeric digits, except in the case of V and E codes. ICD-10-CM codes have 3-7 alphanumeric characters. To me, the codes look more like license plate numbers! The method of looking up a code is similar to ICD-9-CM - you locate the main term in the index, consult the secondary entries, and then consult the tabular listing to confirm code assignment.

ICD-10-PCS codes are very different from ICD-9-CM procedure codes. Coding in ICD-10-PCS understands a great understanding of the procedure performed, as the main index term is the root operation rather than the eponym or name of the procedure. For example, there is no term in the ICD-10-PCS index for "Whipple procedure." The coder must know which of the major root operations this falls under and code appropriately. Once the procedure is located in the index, the coder will find only the first 3-4 of the total 7 character code listed. Those first characters will lead the coder to tables, not a tabular list, that allows for building the rest of the code.

Who Will be Affected Most?
There is much debate about who will be most affected by implementation of ICD-10. For physician offices, although physicians and their coders will not need to learn ICD-10-PCS, they will need to learn ICD-10-CM. If the physician uses a superbill (a list of commonly used codes for that practice), it will need to be redesigned - and expanded - to include the ICD-10-CM codes. Some physician practices may find it tedious to continue to code using a superbill as it goes from a dual-sided to a multi-page document. Practices that do not currently use superbills and rely on coders to assign ICD-9-CM codes will need training in ICD-10-CM.

Hospitals, although only required to report ICD-10-PCS codes on inpatient claims, may choose to collect ICD-10-PCS data on all patients (including outpatients) in order to compare data internally. It is common practice currently for hospitals to collect ICD-9-CM procedure codes on all patient, even though they are "scrubbed" from the bill. As such, hospital coders will need to learn both ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS. Of the two coding systems, ICD-10-PCS is expected to require more education as the structure is completely different from ICD-9-CM procedures. In addition, the clinical knowledge required to assign an ICD-10-PCS code is much greater than that needed to assign an ICD-9-CM code. I think coders with CPT coding experience will find the transition easier because of the level of detail needed to report those codes.

Current Preparations
Right now AHIMA and the AAPC are training future ICD-10 trainers in preparation for training the masses. Software companies that utilize ICD-9-CM codes are currently applying the General Equivalency Mappings (GEMs) to map between ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes and beta testing the new code sets to ensure they work accurately. As an industry, experts aren't recommending that front line coders get trained prior to 2012, however, it is recommended that employers conduct a gap analysis to see what training their coders need and provide medical terminology, anatomy and physiology, and pathophysiology training starting now.

ICD-When?
If you are a coding student, AHIMA recommends that your educational institution begin ICD-10 training in 2011 for associate and baccalaureate degree programs and in 2012 for coding certificate programs. If you plan to code prior to October 1, 2013, you will still need to learn ICD-9-CM coding and if you plan to graduate in 2012, it is likely you will learn both systems. For those considering enrolling in a coding program, determining the ICD-10 education schedule of the school will tell you a lot about the institution. Beware of the school with no plan.

The best part of the transition is that this is a great time for new coders to enter the field. This is a do-over, only it's the experienced coders doing to do-over and they will struggle with it just like new coders. It's going to be a level playing field for anyone interested in being a coder. So if you've ever considered it, now is the time!

Make $40K Working from Home as a Medical Coder!

We've all seen or heard those bold tag lines in print ads and on television and the radio advertising the lucrative opportunities in medical coding and billing. But can companies and schools who make these claims really get you ready to enter the work force? Maybe, but there are some steps you should take before you give your money to any education institution.

Let me first state that I am neither here to endorse nor denounce any school or college. I am simply trying to arm prospective students with the knowledge they need to make the best choices about their future careers.

Step 1: Assess Your Community's Need for Coders
Before you hand any money over for that coding program that promises to deliver, you need to do a little homework about your local job market. Yes, it is true - there is a national shortage of coders and the need for more coders in the future is only expected to increase. But that doesn't mean that coders are needed everywhere. Some places may be saturated with coders and others may have a desperate need for them.

Are you willing to relocate in order to get the job of your dreams? The "American Dream" of the coder is to work from home, but the reality is most remote coders are experienced. Most employers require new coders to work in the office setting before allowing them to log in from the comfort of their pj's and fuzzy slippers. So if you are banking on working from home, add a couple years onto your telecommuting goal. If you aren't willing to relocate and there aren't coding positions in your area, you will have a tough time finding a job.

While you're searching your local job market for coding positions, see which coding certifications they are requiring. This is going to be very important for Step 3 below. You should also start to look at what the salaries are for your area. Salaries will range by region and health care setting. Hospital coding jobs typically pay more but they also typically require more expensive education.

Step 2: Determine What Type of Health Care Setting You Want to Work In
This is a tough one to determine if you don't know anything about coding. But think about what type of environment you prefer to work in: physician office or hospital? You may think, "What's the difference?" Plenty. Not only does each setting have its own preferred set of coding credentials, the coding rules and sometimes even the coding systems differ according to health care setting.

Coding for the physician setting generally involves both coding and billing for physician time and effort. This can vary from coding for one or a small group of physicians to coding for large billing offices or health maintenance organizations with hundreds of physicians. Often physician coders become very knowledgeable of a specific specialty, such as cardiology or orthopedics.

Coding in the hospital is segregated from billing. Because coders are coding for the hospital resources (e.g., equipment, nursing and ancillary staff), they are coding entire hospital stays rather than individual physician visits. Most hospital coders code a variety of cases and generally aren't specialized - although some difficult areas of coding like interventional radiology may result in the training of specialty coders within the hospital.

I'm over simplifying the differences, but you get the gist of it. You may want to start by perusing websites for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and read through their online information to see if one triggers an interest over the other. While it's not a hard and fast rule, AAPC-credentialled coders are typically recognized more by physician groups and AHIMA-credentialled coders are recognized more by hospitals.

Step 3: Pick a School That Will Prepare You for Certification
Can you get a coding job without coding certification? Yes. Is it likely? No. If you want to be a coder, you will need to be certified. Pick your school based on the certification it will prepare you for and be wary of schools that offer their own certification - they are typically not accepted by employers. Your future employer should be determining what type of coding certification you need, not the school. The two reigning accrediting bodies for coders that are recognized by employers are the AAPC and AHIMA.

Probably the best way to pick an educational program is to go to either the AAPC or AHIMA's websites and choose one endorsed by the organization with the certification you aspire to get. By doing this, you know you are getting your coding education from instructors and/or schools who have been "checked out" by industry experts.

The AAPC has online and instructor-led courses that prepare the student to take either the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) or Certified Professional Coder-Hospital (CPC-H) coding certificate. Some of these courses may be applied toward credit at the University of Phoenix. There are also various other colleges and schools that will inform you that they prepare their students for AAPC-certification.

AHIMA does things a little differently by accrediting colleges that meet their stringent requirements for program content. While AHIMA has historically been known for certifying individuals who have completed either associates or bachelors degrees at AHIMA-accredited instutions, they also realize the need for coding certificate programs. Many of the schools that offer AHIMA-accredited coding programs also offer degree programs and you may find the counsellors trying to talk you into a degree program. If all you want is to be a certified coder and are not seeking an associates or bachelors degree, don't be distracted from your goal. Stand your ground and tell them you only want the coding certificate.

If you are seeking an AHIMA-accredited coding certificate program that will prepare you for AHIMA certification, go to their website (www.ahima.org) and search schools in your area. There are also search options for distance learning if there isn't a school in your area. AHIMA has the following coding credentials:

• Certified Coding Associate (CCA)
• Certified Coding Specialist (CCS)
• Certified Coding Specialist-Physician (CCS-P)

As mentioned previously, which credential you get depends on what employers in your area are looking for. You can get dual certification through both AHIMA and the AAPC if you choose.

Step 4: Get Specific Information About Course Requirements
If you choose a coding school that is not AHIMA-certified or affiliated with the AAPC, you need to look at the course content and determine if it will meet your needs. If you plan to work in a physician office setting, you will need to learn ICD-9-CM diagnosis and CPT procedure coding. You should also look to see if there are any classes about physician reimbursement (look for terms like fee schedule, and relative value units (RVUs).

If you want to work for a hospital, you will need to learn ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure coding as well as CPT coding. Hopefully your program also has at least an introduction to hospital code-based reimbursement including diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and ambulatory payment classifications (APCs).

These tidbits of information may sound like Greek to you if you are just beginning to research the coding industry, but you need to look for these things. You may find a school that also has classes regarding front desk procedures - this is typically an indication that the class will prepare you for a position in a physician's office. If you find a program that includes information about electronic medical records and computers, that's a bonus. You will definitely be using a computer as a coder and you should become familiar with the types of systems you will be using.

You should ask questions about the teaching staff. Are they credentialled themselves? I've met many coders who are excellent and aren't certified, but if you plan to get certified, you should have an instructor who's been there and taken the exam. What kind of curriculum do they use and where does it come from? Is it written by credentialled coders? This isn't as important if you found your class through the AAPC or AHIMA since all of their curriculum is generally pre-approved. If it's another school, though, it could be crucial.

You absolutely need to ask if you will be required to do an internship or externship. If the answer is no, you should reconsider your education options. I got my first job from one of my internships and it's an excellent way to get practical experience. If they do require an internship/externship, you should ask if it's your responsibility to find an site or the school's.

AHIMA-credentialled schools generally work with internship sites to place their students. If you have to find your own practicum site, you need to start networking and finding an institution that will work with you. This generally means signing an agreement with the internship/externship site and you may need to initiate that.

The AAPC has Project Xtern, a program that teams aspiring coders with externship sites to get them coding experience. Get more information on Project Xtern at this link.

Step 5: Ask About Job Placement
Will the school help you find a job? If they say yes, ask specific question about their job placement rate and what type of employers they work with. If not, don't despair - you may have to send out 50 resumes and apply to some non-traditional coding jobs, but you can get a coding-related job if you are passionate about the industry and persistent with your efforts.

Step 6: Never Stop Learning
Once you get your coding education completed and get your certification, it's only the beginning. In order to maintain your coding certification, you will need to submit continuing education hours to your credentialling organization every year or two. The only constant in coding is that it's dynamic - once you learn the rules, they often change them. So if you are looking to master an industry that will remain static, reconsider your career choice.

What if I Have a Degree/Certificate From an Unrecognized School?
It happens. Maybe you've already received your degree in medical coding and just found out you spent a lot of money and no one recognizes your degree or certification. What now? It's not the end. What you need to do is make sure you are a member of either the AAPC or AHIMA and get credentialled. You might need to set up your own internship or externship site and do a lot of reading and online research to catch up on some of the things you might have missed. Most of all, you need to start networking with industry professionals, so join your local AAPC chapter or AHIMA component state association.