Have you ever caught yourself wondering if you should pursue an AAPC or AHIMA certification—and, more importantly, which one is the right fit? I've talked with so many aspiring coders…
Lots of things happening last week for me to talk about. First, still no sign of the 2026 Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule. Many of us expected a…
The 2026 Medicare Physician Schedule Final Rule includes several distinct policy changes in which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) modifies how it uses or pays for services…
When I first walked into the revenue cycle department of a midsize outpatient clinic in Raleigh, I expected to see stacks of patient charts and billing ledgers. What I found…
The global AI in medical coding market is projected to reach USD 8.4 billion by 2033, rising from USD 2.4 billion in 2023. A CAGR of 13.6% is anticipated during…
In today’s data-driven world, accurate and efficient medical coding is essential for patient care, insurance claims, and regulatory compliance within the healthcare system. However, manual medical coding can be time-consuming,…
When a patient leaves the hospital against medical advice (AMA), the discharge is not only a clinical concern, but it can also create coding and compliance challenges. Ensuring the process…
With so much focus within the federal government on abuse, fraud, and waste, I thought it might be helpful to review a couple of federal compliance requirements that are directly…
Weight loss can indicate a variety of health conditions, from minor nutritional changes to serious medical disorders. For healthcare providers, accurately documenting this symptom isn’t just important for clinical care;…
There are times when the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) doesn’t agree with itself. I am dealing with a situation in which one team at CMS is saying…
The Coming Storm in Healthcare Finance America’s healthcare system is heading toward a breaking point. By 2030 the US will face a shortage of more than 86,000 physicians. Hospital margins…
For decades, armies of medical coders have served as the translators of American healthcare, converting physician notes and hospital encounters into ICD, CPT®, and HCPCS codes that power reimbursement, compliance,…
Today’s topic is in reference to a coder question posed about discharge status for inpatients who are waiting for discharge to a nursing home. The questioner noted the possibility of…
The American Medical Association (AMA) announced the release of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT®) 2026 code set adding 288 new codes designating the latest advances in medical, surgical, and diagnostic services available…
Physicians are asking for greater certainty around Medicare reimbursement, arguing that compounding payment decreases over time have drastically increased the pressure on practices. Industry organizations, individual physicians and others weighed…
Let’s start with some updates. We have all been Program for Evaluating Payment Patterns Electronic Report (PEPPER)-free for quite a while now, but I can report that there is finally…