4 Areas Where Inaccurate Medical Codes Have Consequences

It’s no secret that risk is a big part of the healthcare industry. That’s why there are risk managers, risk consultants and even risk adjuster programs for medical coders.

But managing risk is a responsibility that goes from the CEO to individual employees. Are you managing risk properly when it comes to your position?

Let’s take a look at four areas where inaccuracy (specifically inaccurate codes) can have big consequences.

1. The Patient

For starters, inaccurate coding impacts the patient and his or her ability to receive proper care. When diagnostic codes are wrong, it leads to improper diagnoses and treatment plans. Other code issues can lead to the wrong medication, treating the wrong body part and providing improper treatment.

2. The Doctor

Inaccurate codes also impact the doctor, starting with his or her ability to care for the patient. You have all of the same issues identified in the above section about the patient, plus the added potential stress, negative reviews and damaged reputation your doctor could incur.

3. The Healthcare Organization

Next, since coding impacts the healthcare organization’s bottom line, it is also affected by improper codes. This can have consequences financially, reputation-wise or even operationally. Mistakes have far-reaching impact in a healthcare organization and it shouldn’t be a surprise that multiple coding mistakes put your job in jeapordy.

4. The Insurance Company

Finally, there can be delays, denials and partial payments if any codes are incorrect. Insurance companies are notorious for being difficult to work with in general, but add mistakes on your end and there is a lot of wasted time and frustration as a result.

The best way to ensure accurate codes? Practice and the proper training! You’ll get both with Medical Coding Academy Online. Click the link to learn more.