ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Proper ICD-9 coding for burn patients can require several codes.ED coders who cannot choose the proper diagnosis codes for each burn treatment patient could end up costing their practices time and money.How? Let's say your ED physician provides local burn treatment for a patient (16000, Initial treatment, first degree burn, when no more than local treatment is required). If the claim contains an inaccurate burn diagnosis code, or no diagnosis code at all, the insurer could deny claims for burn treatment based on lack of medical necessity.Snuff out potential denials by following these four quick steps to picking the perfect burn diagnosis codes for each burn treatment encounter.Step 1: Check Notes for Location of BurnWhen choosing a burn diagnosis code, you first need to check the anatomic location of the burn, confirms Kevin Arnold, CPC, director of compliance for LYNX Medical Systems, based Washington. If you have notes indicating the [...]