Needle EMG is the recording and study of electrical activity of muscles using a needle electrode. Neurologists use EMGs to test the electrical activity of a skeletal muscle to provide a medical diagnosis on a patient. Although these are common procedures but coding them incorrectly can not only cause billing problems but often lead to audits. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlines clearly its recommendations for EMG billing in the Federal Register (issue of October … [Read more...]
How To Correctly Bill Nerve Conduction Studies?
A nerve conduction study (NCS) is a neurological test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body. The nerve conduction test provides physicians with information about the functioning of the peripheral nerves including both the type of dysfunction and the likely location of its cause. It is used to help diagnose various diseases that impact the nerves. Coding and billing these procedures incorrectly … [Read more...]
Understanding Burn Codes Just Made Easy
According to the ICD-9 CM official guidelines for coding and reporting, burns are classified by depth, extent and by agent (E code). So before you assign a diagnosis code, here are a few things to remember. Location/anatomic site of the burn Extent/severity of the burn Percentage of the body surface burnt Cause of the burn Severity of the burn is determined by burned surface and the depth of the burn and this comes from the 941-946 series. Burn depths are classified in three … [Read more...]
Workers’ Comp & PIP Claims : Common Mistakes Which Can be Avoided
When you are billing a Workers' Comp/PIP Claim, your success cautiondepends in part on whether your office captures all the pertinent information up front. When the patient first walks in and fills out the paperwork related to WC/PIP claim, often times it is incomplete, and/or illegible. Result - Confusion and delay in claims processing. By following these simple tips, you can avoid unnecessary delays in claims processing. 1. Obtaining accurate and complete information is not only vital in … [Read more...]