HIPAA Violations
A $1.5 million fine is nobody’s idea of a good time, even less so spending ten years in prison. These are the maximum penalties a person or business can face under new legislation for HIPAA violations, a very pertinent topic …
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The Coming of the ICD-10
October 1st, 2014 is the current date declared by the Department of Health and Human Services when coding based on the ICD-10, shorthand for the International Classification of Diseases Tenth Revision, will go into effect, replacing its outdated predecessor by …
Medical Billing and Coding in Other Countries
Medical billing and coding professionals working in the United States may be curious to know how their profession works in other countries. The American system of payment combines government and private insurance reimbursement for medical services performed at private, non-profit, …
Study Finds Correlation between Expanded Health Care Coverage and ER Visits
One of the first studies to grab headlines in the new year found that those who were covered by Medicaid made more emergency room visits than their counterparts who did not have health insurance. For the medical billing and coding …
To Outsource or Not to Outsource
Many physician practices, health care facilities, and other health care providers periodically wonder about outsourcing their medical billing and coding. For smaller practices it may be the easiest choice when compared with the alternative of hiring another employee. Larger operations …
The American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
The American Academy of Professional Coders, popularly known as the AAPC, is one of the largest organizations in the medical billing and coding industry and offers a number of certifications and training programs in the field. The agency states that …
Medical Billing and Coding Professionals and the Pressure to Commit Fraud
In recent years the Medicare and Medicaid programs have lost an estimated $2.3 billion to fraud. It is every private practice doctor’s or hospital’s worst nightmare to see a team of federal agents surrounding their premises as part of an …
ICD-10 Codes: Struck by a Turtle, Injured by a Spacecraft
The ninth edition of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9) had about 18,000 codes that described all the possible ailments and accidents for which medical services could be billed. The current ICD-10 contains a sizable increase in codes, which now …
What the Budget Deal Means for the Medical Billing and Coding Industry
As the news of a budget deal was announced in a press conference held by Wisconsin’s Representative Paul Ryan and Washington’s Senator Patty Murray, questions immediately turned to the details of the compromise, with Medicare set to lost approximately $22.16 …
An Introduction to the American Medical Billing Association
Founded in 1998 with the goal of serving as a networking hub for the medical billing and coding profession, the American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) currently has chapters in seven states nationwide and is the country’s largest credentialing and education …