Wiki What are the Easiest Specialties to Code?

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I would say mental health in an outpatient office is the easiest to code and to bill. A psychologist will see one patient every hour, almost all of those will be the same CPT code, and the diagnosis code doesn't usually change. The mental health software I used, when you were on the patient record, you hit F3 to bill a visit, and it would replicate exactly the last visit (you could change details if necessary). If you were billing the same day as the visit, then the dates wouldn't need to be changed and then you just hit F10 to save. So go to the patient record, hit F3 then F10 and you have charged the visit. Done. Bam. That's it.
 
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SharonCollachi said:
I would say mental health in an outpatient office is the easiest to code and to bill. A psychologist will see one patient every hour, almost all of those will be the same CPT code, and the diagnosis code doesn't usually change. The mental health software I used, when you were on the patient record, you hit F3 to bill a visit, and it would replicate exactly the last visit (you could change details if necessary). If you were billing the same day as the visit, then the dates wouldn't need to be changed and then you just hit F10 to save. So go to the patient record, hit F3 then F10 and you have charged the visit. Done. Bam. That's it.
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Interesting. Does the provider state the time in each note? Have there been any changes in the patient's symptomology that would change the diagnosis? Is the diagnosis always stated in the note by the therapist? Does the documentation meet the criteria for a therapy visit per CMS and CPT? Has the treatment plan been followed? Is informed consent on file?

Pushing a button to bill a charge without a review doesn't sound 'easy', it sounds risky.
 
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Internal Medicine & Pediatrics (Primary Care) - You see a lot of the same things over and over so it can be very repetitive. Sometimes it can be challenging though if your providers don't limit the types of things they treat that are allowed in their scope of practice and also provide outpatient & inpatient services.
 
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Pam Brooks said:
Interesting. Does the provider state the time in each note? Have there been any changes in the patient's symptomology that would change the diagnosis? Is the diagnosis always stated in the note by the therapist? Does the documentation meet the criteria for a therapy visit per CMS and CPT? Has the treatment plan been followed? Is informed consent on file?

Pushing a button to bill a charge without a review doesn't sound 'easy', it sounds risky.
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The provider noted the time, the receptionist also provided in/out times (not of waiting room, but of psych exam room). If there were changes, the provider would note it on the schedule that he turned in. The documentation ALWAYS met criteria. All of your questions have "yes" answers. This isn't a situation where anyone is sloppy, in fact, the people involved are a little on the OCD side about things. Once a patient has major depression, recurrent, there are very few times when that would change. The only part that MIGHT change is whether it is in remission or not. A patient that has an adjustment disorder with mixed anxious and depressed mood will likely never have that diagnosis change.

Further, most mental health clinicians do their own diagnosis coding, either from the DSM (which is close to ICD these days), or from ICD10.
 
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I started out in inpatient behavioral health and really enjoyed it. Most of my ICD-10 codes came from the same chapter so I just really focused on the guidelines for that area and got signed off by our educators on it fairly quickly. My clinic also tends to start people off with Palliative Care as an "easier" department but I have never personally coded for this.
 
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I really find that once you are coding for a specialty and you become familiar with the specific guidelines for these specialties they come easier to you. My first specialty that I coded for was GI so this is the easiest for me but I am sure it really is on an individual basis and also there may be specialties that are just more interesting to you and it "sinks in" better.
 
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Chiropractic! The same codes are used over and over again...I AM SO BORED! Ortho, Cardio, and IM were so much more interesting. I agree with the previous posts - once you get familiar with any specialty, it becomes much easier and somewhat repetitive.
 
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From Willicoxj: "I really find that once you are coding for a specialty and you become familiar with the specific guidelines for these specialties they come easier to you. My first specialty that I coded for was GI so this is the easiest for me but I am sure it really is on an individual basis and also there may be specialties that are just more interesting to you and it "sinks in" better. "

I totally agree! I've done GI/OB/Peds, I think it takes anyone about 6 months to get comfortable with any specialty. If you receive great training, less than 6 months, but usually I've been thrown in to swim, so I make cheat sheets for frequent flyer codes/procedures to help. Love the forums too! My friend is bored stiff in Chiro too, same, same every day. I think PCP's see everything, so I've done more with my CPC in Peds/PCP than any other field so far. I think one of the hardest are anesthesia and specialty ophthalmology. Good Luck!
 
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Hello, I'm also looking into coding specialties and was trying to determine which ones were the easiest. I saw it mentioned that Mental Health in the outpatient setting is one of the easiest, though I'm wondering if the Behavioral Health specialty would fall under this category.
 
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Hi

I have coded for different medical specialties. So I'd like to add my two cents. I say family medicine and inpatient rehab services as long as good communication with physical therapists, nurses, and doctors.

Lady T:cool:
 
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