As any visit to a medical practitioner will show you, doctor’s offices are incredibly busy places, with just as much going on behind the scenes as what occurs in the exam rooms. Keeping patient records accurate and up to date can be a tedious and painstaking job, and it takes a certain level of expertise to make sure that medical coding is correct. Because of this, many doctor’s offices and hospitals will opt to hire a medical coding company, rather than taking care of coding in-house. Because coding can be such a detailed and time-consuming job, it helps to ensure that it is being done correctly in order to keep peace of mind when it comes to confidence in the accuracy of patient health records.
What Makes Medical Coding So Important?
Without the proper medical coding, your doctor’s practice would be faced with quite a few serious problems. Medical coding helps keep billing accurate and helps to communicate the correct information about your treatment to your insurance carrier, as well as between providers. Proper coding in your medical records is a universal way for other providers to interpret your records correctly, especially when records are being shared and evaluated electronically. With improper medical coding, it’s likely that your personal health record and patient information would also be compromised, as proper medical coding ensures that the correct information about your health, tests, diagnoses, and lab work are all kept in accurate order. When this information is missing or improperly coded, bigger problems could arise. For example, if a test result is improperly coded, you might wind up with an incorrect prescription, which could have negative effects on your health and delay proper treatment of your condition.
Types of Medical Coding
Another reason that a medical coding company has such an important job is due to the number of different medical codes that exist. There are several different types of medical coding, beyond the common CPT–or current procedural technology–codes that you may already be familiar with. These codes are commonly found on medical statements and invoices, and play an important role in insurance coverage and communications. They’re also a universally recognized method of sharing healthcare information.
Overall, the duties and responsibility of a medical coding company like Omneity Billing are vast. In addition to keeping your health information accurate, proper medical codes also ensure that your doctor’s office receives the proper reimbursement from insurance companies, and always has a record of correct patient information.
If you’re looking for an experienced medical coding company to handle patient information, contact Omneity Billing to learn about a range of services to help your practice.
