Using the correct code is very important for accurate claim submission. Many services now hire third-party coding companies to do this job. But why do they hire a third-party service rather than hiring an in-house team? One big reason is that there are not enough trained medical coders. Another reason is that in-house coders consume a large amount of money because you need to train them also. That is why an outsourced coding service can help you avoid errors like incorrect diagnosis codes, modifier misuse, and many more.
They make sure your claims are correctly coded, so you get paid on time without delays. The truth is that hiring medical coding solutions is not an easy task as the market is already flooded with thousands of companies. There are several challenges in medical coding such as incomplete documentation, compliance risks, up coding, down coding, and many more. So, to tackle all these challenges, the experts of third-party coding solutions come into the picture. But how do they help to solve all the complex nuances of coding? So, let’s dive into the answer then.
Improving Coding Accuracy with Medical Coding Solutions
- These coders are trained regularly: Coding guidelines are regularly being reviewed and modified by CMS. The ICD-10 codes are updated frequently. CPT codes also undergo frequent modifications. That is why the staff of the third-party coding solutions get updated with all the changing regulations. Their experienced coders can correctly turn diagnoses and procedures into specific codes. Apart from that, they also know about the varying payer rules to assign the right codes to make sure no coding error occurs.
- They are highly experienced: The experienced coders know about the changing payer policies. Apart from that, they know when and how to apply modifiers to streamline the coding process. Moreover, experienced coders can easily spot the misuse of upcoding, unbundling, or modifiers which leads to claim denials. That is how they improve healthcare accuracy.
- Ensures dedicated resources: The healthcare staff perform almost all the healthcare operations. That is why they do not get enough time to invest in improving patient care. On the contrary, the outsourced coding services provide dedicated experts who focus on solving only your coding errors, so that you can focus on other important tasks.
- They use state-of-the-art coding software and technology: Manual coding leaves room for human errors and takes a lot of time to perform. On the other hand, medical coding solutions come up with experienced staff who know how to use advanced coding software to reduce coding errors. This software has built-in code libraries and real-time edits. Moreover, experienced coders use Computer-Assisted Coding systems which automate code based on clinical documentation. Hence, it eventually leads to fewer claim denials.
- Cost-saving: Hiring an in-house coding team is a costly affair. Moreover, you must train them and buy expensive coding software, which will increase your costs even more. On the other hand, the staff of the third-party coding solutions consume less cost compared to the in-house coding team as they were trained previously. So, by outsourcing a third-party coding service, you can invest your extra amount in improving patient care.
Final Thoughts
It is very difficult to manage the complexities of ICD, CPT, and HCPCS codes for the healthcare staff. Apart from that, as the healthcare resources perform almost all the healthcare operations, that’s why they do not get enough time to improve patient care. That’s where the medical coding solutions come in with their experienced experts. Their experts are highly trained and use state-of-the-art coding software to reduce coding errors in less time. So, if you want to get rid of your coding inaccuracies at an affordable cost, you may consider outsourcing a third-party coding service.
Sunknowledge Services Inc. – an ISO 27001:2022 certified, American-owned & operated company, headquartered in New York City – is a leading global provider of Business and Knowledge Process Outsourcing services in the US healthcare domain.
