Tuesday, October 14, 2014

The Complications Of Medical Billing Are Made Easier By The System Of Cpt Codes

By Patty Goff


There are so many complicated procedures in the medical field that it makes billing difficult. All the illnesses, procedures and medicines have complicated names. The individual who is qualified to work as a coder will have to be familiar with the Current Procedural Terminology or cpt codes to perform those duties.

There is a panel of experts who oversee maintenance of the medical code under the direction of the American Medical Association. It is called the CPT Editorial Panel. It is copyright protected by the AMA.

This code was created to make clear what was administered to each patient in the communications transmitted from one medical department to another. Separate ones identify diagnoses, surgeries and all other medical processes.

ICD-10 coding identifies the illness or condition a patient is suffering from. Three types of CPT code exist, identified as Category I, Category II and Category III. In Category I you will find six sections. Some examples of Category I are Office or outpatient, Critical care and Home health care services.

They become very specific. One is used for any administration of anesthesia. A separate set of numbers is used to refer to each body part that is operated on. Examples include head, back, extremities, which have separate numbers.

Each surgery has a separate number to identify it. For example, surgery to the reproductive system, repairing a deviated septum and a cochlear implant would each be assigned a number. This makes a bill easier for the patient and insurance carrier to understand.

Radiology includes diagnostic ultrasound, radiation oncology and mammography. The mammogram is most often a routine check for breast cancer. It is administered by a nurse and read by a physician.

Another classification is for laboratory codes and pathology examinations, also known as autopsy examinations. These, of course, are done post-mortem. Some brain diseases can only be confirmed after the patient has died. Transfusions also fall in this category.

Routine vaccinations, administration of immunizations and kidney dialysis treatments fall under the numbers for medicine category. When someone has severe kidney disease, the dialysis keeps that person alive until a replacement kidney is matched to their blood type. A kidney transplant will relieve them of the need for dialysis.

Specialists also fall under the class of those used for medicine. Some specialties include otorhinolaryngology, psychiatry and cardiology. The cardiologist is known as the heart doctor and the otorhinolaryngologist is, in laymans terms, an ear, nose and throat doctor.

Numbers in Category II have four numbers followed by an alphabetical letter to identify them. This classification contains eleven codes. Included are routine physical exams, diagnostic screenings and taking the patients medical history.

Category III codes include those for psychotherapy and other counseling. Some will be retired as of 2014. However psychological testing codes will not be changed. Codes are re-evaluated on an annual basis.

Although the AMA is the owner of both the registered trademark and the copyrights to the CPT code, they share it with other medical facilities. Some are The Federal Register and the organization that bills for Medicare and Medicaid. Each is required to pay for a license that entitles them to use it. It makes their billing systems run smoothly.




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