Pediatric Coding Alert

Make sure you have the proper resources to code pediatric services and procedures correctly in 2003. Although payers have until April 1, 2003, to implement the new CPT Codes , preparing now for the changes will save you time and money.

Use this issue of Pediatric Coding Alert as a summary of pertinent CPT changes for 2003. "Do not, however, rely exclusively on the information it provides," says Victoria S. Jackson, CEO of Southern Orange County Pediatric Associates and owner of Omni Management, which provides practice management services for 15 medical offices in the Los Angeles area. "Everyone needs a CPT book," she asserts. "You need to look at the revisions and deletions and compare them to the 2002 codes." Without this information, you may code incorrectly and confuse payers, which can lead to reimbursement loss as well as charges of fraud and abuse, she warns. Not understanding the 2003 coding conventions may also cause future denials, which will require additional time billing and resubmitting claims. To purchase a CPT 2003 manual, contact the following organizations:

the AMA at www.amapress.com or (800) 621-8335 Practice Management Information corporation at pmiconline.site.yahoo.net/cpt2003.html or (800) Med-Shop. The manual is also available from the American Academy of Pediatrics, which offers a package including CPT 2003, ICD-9 2003 and Coding for Pediatrics 2003. Visit the AAP Web site at www.aap.org for more information or call (866) 843-2271. For further information on CPT 2003 changes, attend the teleconference "2003 Pediatric Coding, Compliance and Reimbursement Update." Jackson will present the teleconference at 11 a.m. EST on Dec. 17. To register for this seminar or any other Coding Institute presentations, visit www.codinginstitute.com/conference/conference.cgi.