Cardiology billing is said to be the grim affair unlike handling other specialty. Cardiology billing includes various procedures, which makes the billing service intricate as it requires the coders to check out the various procedures handled and coding the billable services depending upon the place of service. Cardiology billing and coding requires the most experienced and skilled staff who are current with the recent updates of cardiology billing guidelines, code specific rules and compliance standards. Even the slightest mar might result in claim denials and loss of revenue. Let us have a look on the tips from Cardiology billing experts on increasing your billing efficiency.
1. Stay Current with the Billing and Coding Changes
The foremost step towards an efficient Cardiology billing is to ensure your team is current with the ongoing changes in the cardiology billing and coding rules and guidelines. Due to its complex nature, the rules and guidelines for cardiology related procedures and medical billing guidelines often goes through various updates and changes. It is essential that your team handling cardiology billing has excellent knowledge and skill to keep themselves contemporary.
2. Complete and Accurate documentation
Cardiology billing can be tricky, any gap in documentation may result in missing billable codes, which will indirectly slow down your practice revenue. Accurate and complete documentation of the exact procedure is essential to ensure quality billing and coding services and to reduce claim denials. Processing claims with incomplete and inaccurate documentation can be time-consuming and lead to delay in each scope of services.
3. Code diagnosis Instead of Symptoms
In cardiology billing, it is vital to analyze the medical reports and code the confirmed diagnosis instead of reporting symptoms unless there are client specific instructions to code the symptoms. Similarly coding additional symptoms associated with the disease is to be avoided unless noted otherwise.
4. Usage of Combo Codes when appropriate
Cardiology coders need to be aware and follow various coding instructions such as “Code also”, Use additional codes”, “Code first”, etc. It is essential to use the combo codes when appropriate to avoid claims denials, delays and rejection. Missing combo codes indirectly means missing on the your due payment.
5. Coding Comorbidities
Comorbidities are relevant conditions documented by the provider. Coding comorbidities will entitle the physician for higher reimbursement. Coding comorbidities does not only gets you higher reimbursement it also let the payer be informed about the additional cost.
6. Regular Audit of your Medical billing and coding
Because of the intricate nature of cardiology billing, errors in coding and billing might seem inevitable. Planning regular audits can help control the error percentage, at the same time it also helps to analyze the common cause for errors and ensure quality measures are taken to curb repeated errors. Audit also enables you to understand your team and provide them additional or retraining as and when required to keep them abreast.
7. Updated Billing System and software
Leveraging on the right billing system that suits your requirement is quintessential to keep up your billing pace enhanced in today’s competitive and fast moving business trend. Investing and adopting to a suitable EMR and PMS will help increase your productivity, quality and Turnaround Time (TAT).
8. Offshore Outsourcing
It is viable to outsource your cardiology billing to an offshore based medical billing partner to avail quality billing and coding services. An offshore based Medical billing company works to reduce your turnaround time, over-head cost on hiring, staffing etc. An offshore based cardiology billing team is regularly trained to increase your productivity and quality service.
About Ecare India:
E-care India is one of the pioneering offshore medical billing companies based in India that promises to avoid the risks involved with missed Charges. With 20 years of experience in the industry, e-care’s 3 delivery centers have been providing end-to-end medical claims processing services seamlessly to its clients. To know more about e-care and its services, log on to www.ecareindia.com