Google Answers Logo
View Question
 
Q: Consumer-Friendly Intro to HCPCS, ICD9, CPT, DSM-IV ( Answered,   0 Comments )
Question  
Subject: Consumer-Friendly Intro to HCPCS, ICD9, CPT, DSM-IV
Category: Health
Asked by: natalieemt-ga
List Price: $10.00
Posted: 10 May 2003 12:21 PDT
Expires: 09 Jun 2003 12:21 PDT
Question ID: 202059
I am looking for links that provide a consumer-friendly introduction
to medical billing, including an introduction to terms like HCPCS.  I
can't find anything a propos!  There are tons of courses out there
offering to teach people how to be medical billers.  That is NOT what
I want.  I am looking for a selection of materials that will help the
intelligent layperson understand how medical billing works, and how
the choice of codes drives the level of charges.  Am also looking for
consumer-friendly (read: short) definitions of the above terms.

Thanks in advance!

Clarification of Question by natalieemt-ga on 10 May 2003 12:44 PDT
P.S.  I should also have said - I am not looking for books on the
above, but for articles that are freely and immediately available.
Answer  
Subject: Re: Consumer-Friendly Intro to HCPCS, ICD9, CPT, DSM-IV
Answered By: aditya2k-ga on 10 May 2003 13:53 PDT
 
Hi natalie,

Good day and thanks for your question.

In my research on this subject, I came across a very good e-book which
talks about medical coding and reimbursement for beginners. It covers
terms like HCPCS, CMS, CPT, ICD-9-CM, etc.
Web version : http://www.procritline.com/pubs/coding/coding.jsp?p=0
Full printable PDF version :
http://www.procritline.com/pubs/coding/bgo.pdf
(Note: you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view PDF files)

At http://www.nap.edu/html/mlpp/acronyms.html you can find a list of
acronyms used, and a small definition for each.

If you require any additional links, or have any clarifications,
please don't hesitate to ask.

Thank you for using this service and have a nice day

Warm Regards,
aditya2k

Request for Answer Clarification by natalieemt-ga on 10 May 2003 14:30 PDT
aditya2k-ga,

Those are two very good resources.  However, I want to ask you to take
another pass at the search, because one is too complicated and the
other is too simple.  The e-book is an excellent resource and I'm glad
to know about it for my own purposes (though I would note it is
directed towards oncology practices).

Can you find any short articles that are intended to help consumers
understand medical billing?  Really good articles would help consumers
to understand such questions as:

-  Why do I get billed different amounts for visits to the same
doctor?  My pediatrician's bill for a visit ranges between $30 and
$150, and I can't see any logic to it.
-  A bill that I thought should have been paid by my insurance was
turned down.  A billing clerk told me that this was due to "a coding
error."  What does that mean?

Understand that I'm not looking for answers to those specific
questions, just trying to illustrate the sort of thing I'm looking
for.  1-3 page articles that are CONSUMER oriented.

Thanks!

Clarification of Answer by aditya2k-ga on 10 May 2003 23:59 PDT
Hi again Natalie,

I have done a more in-depth search on the topic, and have located the
following articles

Medical Billing and Coding Pearls for PAs
http://www.compliantbilling.com/pages/articles/mapa_02.html

Medical Billing: Coding Challenges for PAs
http://www.compliantbilling.com/pages/articles/advance_01.html

Medical Billing: The Challenge of Coding for PAs
http://www.compliantbilling.com/pages/articles/mapa_01.html

Medical Billing: More Coding Challenges for PAs
http://www.compliantbilling.com/pages/articles/advance_02.html

A Practical Guide to Billing Service Evaluation 
http://www.profmedbill.com/PDFs/PMB_Practical_Guide.pdf

2003 Reference Guide to Oncology Diagnosis Codes 
http://www.procritline.com/pubs/2003oncology/images/oncbooklet.pdf

2003 Reference Guide to Nephrology Diagnosis Codes 
http://www.procritline.com/pubs/2003nephrology/images/nephbooklet.pdf

Health Care Payment Systems
http://www.procritline.com/pubs/health/payer.pdf

These articles cover a lot of information on medical billing and
codes. However, if you still have further clarifications, I will be
more than happy to attend to them.

Cheers,
aditya2k
Comments  
There are no comments at this time.

Important Disclaimer: Answers and comments provided on Google Answers are general information, and are not intended to substitute for informed professional medical, psychiatric, psychological, tax, legal, investment, accounting, or other professional advice. Google does not endorse, and expressly disclaims liability for any product, manufacturer, distributor, service or service provider mentioned or any opinion expressed in answers or comments. Please read carefully the Google Answers Terms of Service.

If you feel that you have found inappropriate content, please let us know by emailing us at answers-support@google.com with the question ID listed above. Thank you.
Search Google Answers for
Google Answers  


Google Home - Answers FAQ - Terms of Service - Privacy Policy