My First Podcast Interview

Posted on January 7, 2021January 8, 2021 by medicalcodingformillennials_eilkjn

I had the pleasure of speaking about Leadership with Jim Zelem, creator of the “You Are Just a Number” podcast. (Link can be found to his podcast page here). We discussed quite a few things namely, my creation of this blog and the importance of making an impact in healthcare, even if you don’t have a “leadership” or “managerial” title.

How Establishing Integrative Teamwork Can Drive Actionable Insights Within CDI

Aside from being interviewed, this experience further solidified my goal through this blogsite. I want this to provide an opportunity for others to see and challenge how they can apply their experience in healthcare through different avenues. Think about what the future of healthcare is going to do to your role? How will you remain a competitive employee in a world where process automation is becoming the norm? I challenged myself by enrolling in a boot camp that teaches data analytics using Python. I did this because I see how traditional HIM roles are changing. Even now, AHIMA is implementing a change to the RHIA certification come March 2021 because, we as HIM professionals more than ever, are needed to be masters of health data.

I hope you find this interview insightful and encouraging!

Happy New Year!

Think outside the (ICD 10-CM) Code Book

Posted on July 3, 2020January 6, 2021 by medicalcodingformillennials_eilkjn

Screenshot of an image from the game Stardew Valley. A fun and simple farming RPG

Do you worry about being held hostage by your cubicle? You obtained your credentials as a Medical Coder, now what do you do? Remember you aren’t limited to just one role. There are so many other possibilities and positions available for credentialed professionals where you can utilize your skills and credentials. Lets go through a couple examples.

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Back End Revenue Cycle

Posted on June 1, 2020April 3, 2022 by medicalcodingformillennials_eilkjn

Helpful tips and tricks to reduce denials

I did my first virtual webinar this week with my local AAPC chapter on a non-traditional medical coding topic. Although I have my medical coding certification, I have been working in Medical billing and appeals over the past 5 years. I really enjoy the troubleshooting aspect of it. Stuff gets submitted to the payer broken, error message ensues, then you try and “fix” it. This has been my new norm for the past 4+ years. I did it on the physician side for 2 years, now I am doing it on the hospital side…and even with the current state of healthcare, there are no signs of this process stopping any time soon. Although medical coding is prior to the health insurance claim being submitted to the insurance company, the point I made in my presentation was that it is helpful to have medical coders in different aspects of the healthcare business cycle. Think about it, Medical Coding professionals have to understand how and why codes are assigned to the claim for billing. With this information, your medical coding professionals, especially newer students, and might be able to help getting those “error messages” overturned. This can result in reimbursement for services for the facility or healthcare providers practice.

Why Denials continue to be a problem?

You can think of an insurance denial as an “error message” preventing payment to your providers office or healthcare facility. Knowing and understanding how to resolve a denial requires a deep understanding of medical coding and the codes that insurance companies use to communicate denied claims. These are often known as Reason and Remark codes and can be found here.

Your Medicare Administrative Contractors can be huge resources in this process. They often have free webinars that can provide you invaluable information on medicare guidelines for reimbursement, along with common denials that occur within their jurisdiction that might help in understanding claim resolution processes. The more you see and understand different types of denials you encounter, the more comfortable you will become with the process needed to obtain appropriate reimbursement for the services provided by your facility or physician.