Coding expert must be a master at solving puzzles
Designating a staff member as the "coding expert" for your agency is one way to ensure accurate reimbursement; but the person does not have to be a certified coder to help your agency understand the myriad codes and guidelines.
"A certified coder is wonderful, but is not required," says Judy Adams, RN, BSN, HCS-D, COS-C, a home care clinical consultant with Larson, Allen, Weishair and Co. in Charlotte, NC. "What you want is a person who is very detail oriented and likes puzzles or mysteries because coding is like a puzzle. You are looking for the right pieces to fit together," she explains.
Don't assume that the expert must be a clinician, either, adds Adams. "I've seen very good coding experts who come from the billing department because they do have experience with codes."
Be sure that you offer your expert opportunities to attend seminars and courses so that he or she can develop the expertise needed for the job, says Benner. "I'm a staff development educator but when I became responsible for teaching coding to the rest of the staff, I chose to pursue certification," she says. While certification is not necessary, an agency manager must be willing to support the coding expert's need for information, she adds.
Current guidelines and access to on-line updates are essential, says Benner. It's also helpful to watch national and state home care associations' news and seminar offerings to see what is current and what might be hot topics, she adds.
Although smaller agencies may find it necessary to have their coding experts handle the coding responsibility in addition to other responsibilities, be sure that the employee does have time to stay up to date on coding and to share the information with staff members, says Adams. "This is a responsibility that directly affects the agency's bottom line, and it must be an ongoing process to ensure success."
Designating a staff member as the "coding expert" for your agency is one way to ensure accurate reimbursement; but the person does not have to be a certified coder to help your agency understand the myriad codes and guidelines.You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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