ICD 10: How much is too much?
An eight fold increase in data codes has evoked mixed reactions in the healthcare industry. Though additional codes can pave the way for more specific and unambiguous medical data it could also lead to more hours at the workplace to deal with the new extensive and voluminous ICD 10 codes.
Not everybody’s smiling however
The Wall Street Journal carried a post recently on some hilarious codes that seem to be carrying granularity in data codes a bit too far such as three separate codes for walking into a lamppost. But not everybody’s laughing, certainly not medical providers who have enough on their plate already dealing with changing healthcare information regulations, billing audits, and hard nosed insurers. It is feared that this overdose of information could mean delays and denials of medical bills.
Groan! 55000 more codes!
From 13,000 codes to 68,000 additional medical codes is no easy joke! Though not all the codes in there are going to be used, the major criterion of the ICD 10 is specificity. It offers more insight, clarity and details and, codes also include laterality details, which was one key aspect ICD 9 lacked on. Therefore the need to communicate more clearly and pin pointedly with the insurance providers arises.
If you are on a tight budget and cannot afford to train up or hire staff there is a solution and it is as viable as it is affordable. You guessed it, outsource! With professional medical billing companies that offer cost effective services, outsourcing no longer means cutting corners! It is an option that offers what we all are on an endless quest for; value for money.
So it’s not all downhill!
Well, if just glancing at the new set of medical codes makes you feel you are drowning in a sea of information and gasping for air, obviously outsourcing your medical billing requirements can be your lifeboat. The new set of codes demand a whole lot more of specificity and could make insurers give medical providers the thumbs down a lot more frequently, letting professional medical billing firms to handle your billing process could improvise your collections in the long run.
Get off your feet!
There are many players in the medical billing field and now handling the latest government regulations and the numerous changes in the field of healthcare informatics, is as easy as calling on a toll free number. Make that call today for a more profitable and streamlined medical practice.
