Your practice is being underpaid for your E/M services.
The culprit is downcoding. You may think that downcoding your claims is safer than billing a higher level of service, but this is not entirely true. The problem is that downcoding, just like upcoding, can also get your practice flagged for an audit. And worse, you could get audited and fined, and you didn’t even get paid what you should have.
Carriers report that they paid out tens of millions LESS for E/M services based on downcoding of these everyday services (i.e., Medicare states that practices underbilled them by $27 million last year for 99213 alone).
To make matters more challenging, just because certain visits may be routine for your practice doesn’t mean you can simply assign a low-level E/M code and move on. The new E/M guidelines have nuances that even seasoned coders don’t yet understand. The only way to get paid accurately is to master this new coding process. The good news is, national coding expert Brenda Edwards CPC, CDEO, CPB, CPMA, CPC-I, CEMC, CRC, CRCS, CMCS, is here to help.
During her online training, Brenda will provide you with clear examples of how to code correctly and optimally for all levels of E/M services you provide. This way, you can quickly and accurately identify the right code for every service you perform and ethically receive all of the reimbursement you are due.
Here are just a few of the coding strategies you’ll receive during this online training to help you improve your E/M services billing accuracy and reimbursement:
- Sidestep the most common downcoding errors that cost you money
- More accurately select E/M services codes based on time and MDM
- Ace prolonged services rules to avoid money loss for extended patient time
- Justifiably bill 99215 without worry of being flagged for an audit
- Improve use of E/M modifiers to ethically get paid more of what you are due
- Verbiage to educate providers to stop “playing it safe” E/M undercoding
- Get paid for observation services, despite deletion of dedicated E/M codes
- Identify documentation nuances that justify high-level E/M levels
- Help providers overcome documentation flaws that are cutting payments
- Accurately calculate medical decision-making with these simple strategies
- Utilize detailed E/M coding examples to head off undercoding claims
- Interpret complicated documentation to pick the highest E/M code allowable
- And much more!
Your practice is already performing the work of these E/M services —so you deserve to collect every penny you are due. Don’t leave money on the table for even one more day because you’re simply guessing which code is best. This training will ensure you have the tools necessary to accurately report and get paid for your E/M services every time.
Register now for this can’t miss online training session today to help your team code the right E/M level so you can keep reimbursement flowing. Space is limited for this exclusive event—sign up today.
Brenda has been in healthcare over 35 years working closely with practices, providers and residency programs to ensure documentation is compliant and accurate.
She has written many articles for national publications. Her humorous and engaging presentation style has made her a conference favorite for AAPC, AMBA, Training Leader, and Decision Health as well as AAPC local chapter meetings across the country.
Brenda teaches the virtual instructor led training (VILT) for AAPC. Mentoring the next generation of coders, billers, and auditors is her passion. She co-founded the northeast Kansas (NEKAAPC) chapter. Brenda serves on the national advisory board for AMBA and previously served on the AAPC Chapter Association Board of Directors.
