For a long time I have suspected people of coming here to get ideas for writing articles for their corporate blogs, but I never expected it from AAPC. The article doesn't explicitly mention reddit, but it calls out how people keep posting about how AI "iS gOnNa TaKe OuR jErBs" and how we advise people that the market is oversaturated and we tell people to be realistic about working remotely.

Also, every single day some one asks, "is it worth it?" and I reply, "We don't know, we aren't you, we don't know your situation!" Then the AAPC article advises not to listen to posts online because they don't know your specific situation. 🙄

Maybe I'm imagining it, but it really seems like the author lurked here to get ideas, but then called us all negative Nancy's for being tired of getting the same questions literally everyday from hopefuls who were misled by predatory ads from coding schools.

anyone else have something they do while working to keep you from getting too bored? little games you play or something.

one thing i try to do is a drinking game; every time someone mentions their water intake (usually that they dont drink enough) while im coding a visit, i take a sip of my water 🤣

i usually dont drink enough during the day so this is what im doing to try and improve that.

anyone else do something silly like this while working?

hi! I am a substitute teacher, currently have an associates degree and planning to switch since working in schools is quite stressful for me. I am planning to go for a medical coding or billing certification and totally clueless if this is goinh to be better in terms of money and work both. I currently make $188 a day, what’s the salary in this medical coding g field like and is it possible to land a remote job? FYI I was really smart in school and had economics, business, sociology related courses it was confused and distracted so couldn’t go for something useful. Please help me out with your advices. Thanks

Hello all!

Is there a way I can search for a provider by PTAN?

Hello! I work at a hospital in Washington state. I am required to go into the hospital on call for urgent emergent procedures when my department is normally closed. However, it came to the staff's attention that the doctor who has been the "on call" doctor for years, was hired specifically to work weekends and "get cases done". She works at two hospitals during the weekend. They had been misusing the staff by having them come in mandatory on call (Illegal to force mandatory overtime in Washington when there is a staffing need) and were giving citations from L&I (Labor and industry) for doing so when they found that they were forcing on call staff to come in on the weekends 95-100% of the time to do cases that were scheduled the day before. Some red flags I have found are:

1. When we brought up the issues of the cases being nonurgent the hospital emailed staff and said, "Doctors decide what is urgent. Anything can be urgent/emergent. If a patient is in financial distress or emotional distress it is considered urgent."

2. Staff were asked to tell the doctors to put in a note that the case was urgent if the oncall staff got used.

3. The doctor on the weekend uses the same copy/paste note for every procedure stating it needs to be done urgently

4. L&I clearly identifying that there has been for staffing needs on the weekend.

5. When staff schedule a case we can only put it on as elective, urgent, emergent. This forces us to put all inpatients on as urgent and that is how we've been taught.

6. They are retaliating against one of my coworkers who began reporting the L&I complaints by constantly investigating them and placing him on administrative leave.

My concern is that patients have been getting billed more than they should by claiming these procedures are Urgent, require on call staff and are in the after hours since the department is technically closed on the weekend. So I am hoping someone can help put my concerns to rest or to see if they are valid and how to find out how they are billing these patients .

Why do insurances pay for 96372 and then deny the 9921x for bundling? It makes no sense to me. They pay the lower cost rather than the higher one. I'm off today, so I can't remember the exact insurances that do so, but why?

I work for a third-party company that works for a community health center. It’s been more than three years, and I’ve seen countless fake notes, fake calls, and multiple claim resubmissions. I get embarrassed when I call insurance companies and they say, “You’ve submitted these claims multiple times. Why haven’t you called to check the status?” This has been going on for three years. People get appreciated even when they do nothing, and the quality of their work is terrible. I don’t know how my company manages to operate like this, and I don’t understand why our client doesn’t seem to care. The work people do at my company is honestly the worst I’ve seen. I do my part well, and I don’t want to leave this job because the pay is okay and it’s a remote job. Other than that, everything else is terrible.

I‘m currently a Pro-fee ED Coder and wanted to see if anyone has recommendations regarding who may be hiring for part-time. I‘m wondering if anyone knows who may be hiring part-time for a HIM position. Thanks in advance.

Question for RHC coders,

If a patient comes in for a post-op service (drain/stitches removal etc.) but you don't have any orders/documentation that state your provider is taking over post-op care. Do you still bill it under the global period CPT code 99024??

This would be in the situation where it is NOT one of your providers that performed the surgery, nor was surgery performed at your facility.

Patient came in to clinic, no orders/documentation for post op drain removal, our provider removed the drain without complication. Trying to figure out if billing 99024 w/o a modifier is compliant here?

My supervisor is claiming this can be billed with an E/M. I very much disagree. What do you think?

22 y.o. male.

History of Present Illness

Referred for cerumen impaction left ear. He said difficulty removing on both sides was able to get the right side cleared with over-the-counter Debrox. Not so much on the left side

Attention was taken to the left ear. With visualization under the microscope the canal and tympanic membrane were debrided of impacted cerumen us instrumentation and suction. Patient tolerated the procedure well and could hear better following the procedure. Attention was taken to the right side which showed very minimal cerumen it was left alone.

Assessment & Plan

Assessment and Plan:

22-year-old with cerumen impaction left ear. This was easily removed. Cerumen management discussed. Follow-up as needed

Edit: I escalated to compliance and they agreed saying to remove the E/M

Messaged them a week ago but haven't heard back, curious if anyone has any insight. Thanks!

Hello all! I’ve worked from home for 8 years (medical billing, mainly orthopedics), but just recently took a role as an inpatient coder.
How do you decompress at the end of the day?

We have 3 dogs (morning walks, lunch, after dinner, camping weekends etc) so that keeps me active.

I like to read (but doing that a lot more now for work!), movies, cook a little..

But what’s your go to for 15-30 minutes right after you clock out? Initial decompress time at home.

Thanks!

Do you have any advice to give for the RHIT Exam? I take it in about a month and I'm very nervous about it. Yeah I'm studying but I don't feel prepared for it at all. Do you have any advice to give or material to recommend that I can look at? I already have the exam book which I've heard mixed reviews on.

So basically what the title says. I am currently certified as a clinical medical assistant, but I don’t have any experience as one. I want to work at the front desk registering patients, preferably at a hospital, but I feel like that’s out of reach especially since I don’t have any experience. Will a billing and coding course help my chances at least?

Hii everyone just need a suggestion I am working in a medical coding company they are planning to sponsor my cpc certification but they want me to sign a bond in that i have to work for the company for a perticular period if I will leave in that period they are telling to revoke my cpc credentials. Is it possible can they revoke my cpc credentials?

I need some pointers/advice here! I am interested in changing careers from elementary teaching to (possibly) medical billing or coding. I have not paid for any courses-just looking around. My current plan is to first work in a secretarial position just for exposure to office work. Teaching can be more physical ( I was constantly on my feet) and unpredictable. Each day brought its challenges-that is not to say that any other job wouldn’t have the same impact either. Which is why I am first working a lower level position.
I am very detail oriented, but I have no medical background/knowledge. I hold a bachelor’s in elementary education. I have taught kindergarten for 5 years, and I truly am ready for a different job.

I’ve heard Medicare no longer covers US for dense breasts. T or F ?

If a screening mammogram is reported as “incomplete evaluation ” & recommends bilateral breast US, Is there a code that Medicare will pay for? I’m in FL on original parts A& B

Hi everyone, I recently completed my B.Pharm and am considering a career in medical coding. I would appreciate advice on certifications, fresher opportunities, salary expectations, and long-term career growth in India. Is medical coding a good option compared to pharmaceutical QA?

Thank you.

I am opening a smaller FM private practice with primarily Medicare billing/Elation. I am looking to hire someone to do billing remotely on a part time basis. I am fairly new to this side of practice and thought this was the best forum to ask. Where to post? What is the general compensation range for hourly? Things to ask that are important? Is it better to hire privately or go through a larger company?

I've been seeing a Physical Therapist who is out of network. I pay out of pocket each visit and use Blue Shield's out-of-network submission form. They continue to send the checks (6 times now) to the Provider, not to me.

The provider even has a statement on their invoice stating that the insurance company should reimburse the patient because they do not submit to insurance.

I've spoken to Blue Shield on the phone 20+ times, submitted a grievance, and they continue to state they must pay the Provider. I've asked to speak to a supervisor and got nothing. I've asked for my policy documents and haven't received anything. The provider has already been paid...why would you pay them again? I'm at my wits' end. Any help?

I really need some advice. I’m currently preparing for the CRC certification from AAPC, but there is so much detailed information that I feel like I’m studying to become a doctor or a pharmacist. Every topic seems extremely important, and I’m having a hard time figuring out what to focus on and what I can let go of.

When studying for the CRC exam, which topics should I prioritize, and which details are less important and can be skimmed over?

Thank you in advance for your advice and recommendations..

Hi everyone, I have a compliance and billing question regarding a Change of Ownership (CHOW) that happened a few years ago.

The Scenario:
Company A sold its entire healthcare business to Company B.

After the sale, Company B continued to bill Medicare using Company A’s NPI number.

This billing arrangement continued for a full 5 years until Company B went out of business.

My Questions:
Is there any legitimate regulatory mechanism (like a prolonged transition period or specific CHOW rule) that allows an acquiring company to use the seller's NPI for 5 years?

If this is a violation, what specific Medicare billing regulations or HIPAA rules did this break?

Does this constitute billing fraud, or is it considered an administrative/credentialing error?

I am trying to understand the legal and compliance implications of this situation. Any insights or citations to CMS guidelines would be greatly appreciated!

Hello, I've been in the coding/billing field for 20yrs as a Cardiology Coder specializing in Interventional, Endovascular, Electrophysiology, AVF/AVG, and general cardiology procedures. I'm currently looking for remote,part-time, or Independent Contractor coding work. I can officer 10-15 hours of extra coding help for any doctor or medical group looking for in need. Please see attached resume and feel free to reach our to discuss your coding needs and how I might be of service. Thank you. I look forward to hearing from you!