flynn043

I'm sometimes asked if there's a busy time of year for coders or if it's pretty much status quo. As a matter of fact, there is a busy time of year for coders and this is it! Every year, we gear up for all the upcoming year's coding changes. That means letting coders know which codes have been deleted, expanded, and added and letting coders, physicians, administrators, and revenue cycle personnel know how code-based reimbursement will be affected in the coming year. This may seem rather straightforward, but since we work with more than one code set with different implementation dates, fourth quarter of each year can be pretty crazy! ICD-9-CM Codes The ICD-9-CM diagnosis and procedure codes are updated annually with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) fiscal year (FY), which begins October 1. These codes are used to report diagnoses for all health care settings and procedures for hospital inpatients. Right now, you will find coders acquiring thei...

Need a Coder Coach fix between blog postings? I frequently post links to articles on Facebook and Twitter. On Facebook, search for the group "The Coder Coach" and on Twitter, look for @codercoach.

If you haven't heard yet, the coding system is changing on October 1, 2013 from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM and ICD-10-PCS. I have told a lot of new coders and coding students that this gives them a more level playing field when it comes to getting hired on as a coder. But 2013 is still 3 years away. If you are graduating soon and will be looking for a coding position, what does ICD-10 really mean to you? Should you start training on ICD-10 now so that you are well-positioned for the coding switch? Why ICD-10 is a Good Thing for Wanna-be Coders I always start with the prerequisite disclaimer when I talk about coders: I am a coder, so I can poke a little fun at our idiosyncrasies. Many coders don't like change. And that's part of what makes them so successful as coders - the ability to work in a routine environment coding patient record after patient record. So to coders who really dislike change, ICD-10 is like an atomic bomb. I've heard some say they will retire or f...

Are you currently a coding student? Are you nearing graduation? Are you waiting until you graduate to look for a job? If you answered yes to any of the above, I ask you, why wait? Start applying for coding jobs now. We all know it can be hard to get that first coding job or even to land in an entry-level position. So if you can make it work, I recommend applying for any job now that will boost your chances of moving into a coding position. That might mean working as a file clerk or scanner (someone who scans in medical record documentation into the hospital's imaging system). Anything that will get you closer than you are today to being a coder. If you start now you will also find that you won't be competing with your fellow graduates for the same jobs come graduation day. And for all you kinesthetic (learn-by-doing) learners out there, you may find it will help you piece together the puzzle we call health care revenue. In other words, you'll get experience! So tak...

About 10 years ago when I was working as a coding supervisor in a hospital, I received a phone call from a woman who was asking me how she could get trained to become a DRG auditor. At that time, there weren't a lot of coding schools and the internet was just catching on, so I referred her to the local community college and their health information technology associates degree program. She went on to tell me that she had a masters degree in an unrelated field and she didn't feel an associates degree was necessary. She also didn't want to be a coder, just a DRG auditor. She had an acquaintance who became a DRG auditor without a degree in HIM, so she figured she could too. She heard there was good money in DRG auditing and she wanted to make good money. All I needed to do was tell her where to get the information. Okay, a quick side note: DRGs are the result of the codes assigned on a single inpatient claim - adding, removing, or changing a code can potentially change t...

I would love to take credit for making up this list of reasons to be a coder, but I can't. It's a list that came out about 15 years ago and I believe it was published in The Journal of AHIMA. This list was popular when I first started coding in the mid-90s. I have yet to see an electronic copy of it, but found a photocopied list in a scrapbook (er, chart) my coworkers gave me when I left my first coding job. This list graced my bulletin board for a long time! Some of these are a bit dated, but most still ring pretty true and I updated Ms. Scichilone's credentials as she is still a well-respected practicing HIM professional. I hope you enjoy this little bit of levity! Top Ten Reasons to be a Coding Professional by Rita Scichilone, MHSA, RHIA, CCS, CCS-P, CHC 10. You love to read really small print. 9. Carrying around code books is better weight training than those cute little dumbbells you buy at the fitness store. 8. Classification systems and nomenclatures make gre...

I will be the first one to admit when I’m bad at something (like math), but as far as joke-telling goes, I think I’m actually quite good. It’s the remembering part that’s tricky. But I do have a few favorite jokes in my arsenal – a blonde joke or two (it’s okay, I’m blonde!), a couple of jokes that are only truly appreciated by kids under the age of 8, and one joke that teaches a lesson. I am going to share the latter with you now. A damn broke uphill from a town and the entire town had to be evacuated before the eventual flooding and devastation that was going to occur. One man began to pray and asked that God protect him from the flood. The police came to his door and told him to evacuate and he said, “No thank you. I believe and have faith that the Lord will provide.” The police left. Soon the flood waters were starting to make their way into the town and the man was forced to move to the second story of his home. He prayed again and asked God to protect him. ...