4 of the Most Common Medical Coding Mistakes

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading source=”post_title” font_container=”tag:h1|font_size:30|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Mistakes are a part of life. As Albert Einstein once said, “a person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”

If you’re new to medical coding, chances are pretty good that you’re going to make a mistake or two. (OK, it’s guaranteed.) But when that happens, you have two options:

You can get down about it.
You can learn from it and become a better coder

Today’s blog post is all about the latter. We’re going to cover four of the most common medical coding mistakes and then tell you what you can do about them.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_top=”20px”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Mistake #1: Not Coding to the Highest Level of Specificity” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This is a big reason why insurance carriers deny claims. Basically, your codes aren’t specific enough. In the eyes of the payer/insurance carrier, if a procedure or service line is not documented, you can’t code it. So make sure the diagnosis is documented and coded to the highest level of specificity for that code (i.e. maximum number of digits). For example, if you’re coding a fracture, include the type of fracture. You get the idea.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_top=”20px”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Mistake #2: Bad or Missing Documentation” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Building on the last mistake, documentation is crucial in medical coding. Insurance carriers will deny for lack of specificity, sure, but they’re going to more quickly deny coding for procedures or service lines that aren’t documented. If you’re in a situation where the procedure or service line isn’t documented, don’t hesitate to query the physician and get it resolved.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_top=”20px”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Mistake #3: Using Outdated Code Sets” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Another mistake new medical coders often make is failing to use current or updated code sets. Providers must purchase the next code sets yearly, so make sure you’re being provided the newest code sets to do your job properly. This mistake isn’t really your fault, per se, but you CAN do something about it.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”6685″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://medicalcodingacademyonline.org/mca-online-home”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_top=”20px”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Mistake #4: Under or Over Coding” font_container=”tag:h3|text_align:left|color:%23000000″ use_theme_fonts=”yes”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The National Correct Coding Initiative Program (NCCI) was implemented for a reason: to improve the accuracy of medical coding. As such, you have NCCI software to help prevent you from over-coding or under-coding your service lines. Don’t become overconfident in your memory or abilities. Use the software![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_top=”20px” margin_bottom=”15px”][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/NjOTCE-eBdM” el_width=”70″ align=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]These are just a few common mistakes medical coders make. To brush up on your medical coding knowledge, sign up for one of our courses today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row margin_top=”20px”][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”7553″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” lazy_loading=”true” link=”https://www.facebook.com/groups/4075722495771414″][/vc_column][/vc_row]