Professional Coder - Get Your Strategies To Success

By Author: Celena Rose
Total Articles: 146
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Medical procedures, diagnosis concepts and the accurate application of codes drive in the reimbursements for you. As a professional coder, you have all the resources - all you need to do is identify them and optimize their usage.


The best resource you have in your hands is the ICD-9 book. Take a good look- cover to cover - before you start looking for other resources. Most of the answers are right there in the book, and you have to know where and how to look.


Secure your career as a professional coder with this bit by bit strategy for correct ICD-9 coding:


Find out the key term for the condition you have to code -locate it in the index.

Go through whatever extra information you can get from the book. Important because you have to know the intended use of the codes.

Find out if you need to use any modifiers for the condition.

Evaluate the sub-terms and make sure they apply to the situation you are coding for. The sub-terms are listed underneath your main code, indented ...
... to the right.

Follow any cross-reference instructions you lay hands on.

Verify the code over and over again. Tabular listings are more detailed, so avoid taking the code from the alphabetical index listing.

Go through the instructional notes carefully.

Now, assign the verified codes - after you cross-checked the procedures you have followed.


Medical coding goes through constant evolution; redundant codes are deleted, new ones are added, and modifiers are included to provide further clarification to the payers.


Bottomline - To further your professional coder career, update your knowledge of CPT, ICD-9 and HCPCS codes and apply them to the most up-to-date specifications if you wish to get reimbursements from your payers.


codingcert.com provides selected trainers that gives you hands-on training for medical billing and coding certification at our CPC training camps to assist YOU to pass the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) certification exam to become a Certified Professional Coder (CPC).