According to the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, optimization of gastroenterology coding operations “is critical for the business side of a GI practice”.
Errors in coding for gastroenterology procedures often lead to denial of claims. Some less common outcomes of coding errors include underpayment, reduction in operating profit and even penalties for hospitals and GI practitioners.
GI practices and hospitals should avoid these issues at all cost.
In fact, it is so important to avoid these issues and optimize coding operations to get rid of procedural inefficiencies that without it there may be added expenses that can offset revenues generated from other sources.
Thus, for the purposes of this article, we shall discuss the importance of accuracy in GI coding operations in ensuring minimum rework and maximum reimbursement.
Gastroenterology Coding: Importance of Accuracy
Accuracy in gastroenterology coding operations is vital. Ensuring accurate coding can enable healthcare providers to get fair and optimum reimbursement for services offered. Efficient medical coding of procedures and services can provide significant benefits.
Proper coding of GI procedures and services helps maximize reimbursement, ensuring financial viability of a practice to a great extent.
Fixing coding errors requires administrative staff to spend time reviewing documents and identifying errors. This results in re-work which adds to operational costs without generating additional revenue. Thus, it should be apparent how accurate coding can help reduce avoidable operational expenditures by ensuring minimum rework on submitted claims.
Submitting claims with accurate gastroenterology CPT, HCPCS and ICD-10 codes will have a significantly higher chance of being approved by the insurer, if other requirements for claim submission are fulfilled.
Proper coding of procedures and services can go a long way in ensuring first-time approval of reimbursement claims. This in turn helps improve the first-pass rate for claim submissions, which is a sign of efficient billing and coding operations.
For any queries on best practices to optimize gastroenterology coding and billing operations, or to receive a callback for free (no strings attached) consultation, please feel free to reach out to Sunknowledge Services Inc., a trusted, HIPAA-compliant RCM company that has been serving U.S. healthcare providers for nearly two decades.
