From the Founder

by Laureen Jandroep, OTR, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS CRN Founder & CEO

I had a wonderful time last weekend in Pittsburgh with Suzan Hvizdash. I did a Coding Review Blitz to 27 of her local chapter members – many of which took the CPC and CPC-H exam the next day! Those videos are being duplicated as we speak. For those with pending orders they should ship out on Friday. Yay! Visit the CRN Shoppe to order your copy of the 2006 Coding Certification Review Blitz on VHS or DVD tapes.

We have a great issue for you today. Suzan Hvizdash gives us a wonderful update of what has been going on at the listserv in her Listserv Lately column – ICD-9 questions abounded! By the way, if you want to actually read the full posts but are not subscribed to the listserv you can do so by going to http://codingandreimbursement.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=180.

Tara Conklin, a.k.a. "The Coding Sleuth" finishes her three-part story about the "Maddening Modifiers." If you have any article suggestions for our coding sleuth, please let us know!

Barbara Cobuzzi gives us an update on what is happening on the TeleWebinar side of things, plus an appeal for us all to share our forms and documents that help us do our job better. She will then put them up on the CRN website for all to benefit from.

Pam Biffle provides us with another "Student Success Story" and some CRN Institute updates.

Cyndee Weston, CMRS from Oklahoma is our member highlight this issue. Many of you know Cyndee personally as she runs the American Medical Billing Association – a great organization that the CRN fully supports.

And of course we have our sponsors on the right hand side. Please show them that you support the CRN by clicking on their logos to see what they have to offer.

Until next time!

--Laureen = )

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by Suzan Hvizdash, CPC CRN Senior Auditor, Instructor

I cannot believe we are into May already. I’m still catching myself writing 2005 on my checks!

But here we are and the weather has just been wonderful (here in PA). The list was quite lively these past few weeks. We really did have a lot of questions flying around. I saw that most were answers - that’s why I love it here!!

Let’s see, we had a lot of diagnosis questions. What’s the ICD-9 code for tendon tightness, MEN 1, anxiety, dislocation of a finger? Well, those answers were given quickly and with good explanations to back the answer up. We may not always get it right, but we justify the reasons for our answers. This is such healthy dialogue! 727.81 was the code recommended for tendon tightness, 834.00 for finger dislocation, 300.00 for the specific problem of Anxiety, and let’s not forget my question about MEN 1-239.7. The scenarios for some of these codes didn’t start out as simple as tendon tightness, but through the expert minds of the CRN listers, these codes were the ones pulled our of that large diagnosis book we all know affectionately!!

On the same line with the diagnosis coding, we should also acknowledge, as a thread pointed out that the code selected should be the correct code for the problem, not necessarily the one that’s going to get the claim paid. Compliant diagnosis coding is an extremely important area of concentration. We need to make certain that we are not arbitrarily assigning codes “just to get the claim paid.” We need to provide a complete and accurate picture to the payers and not give a patient a disease he/she doesn’t have.

What about CPT codes - we’ve got questions on those as well. Scar revision, 14040, was just one example of the types of questions we got on CPT coding.

What’s a recovery audit company? Discussions took place on exactly what these companies were and how they operated. From what was discussed, these are companies hired by the payers to make certain that the payment for a claim was correctly reimbursed. They get the medical records from the provider and read it for medically necessity, etc. comparing it to the claim that was submitted and ultimately paid. The Medicare carriers are going through these audits now (CERT: Corrective Error Rate Testing). To see the whole thread you could start at http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CRN-L/message/52944.

Other areas that we tackled were questions about blood draws, phone calls, seminars, and pain management.

Congratulations to all of the listers who took the CPC-P and passed. Among them are Annette Grady, Chelisa Clark, and of course Barbara Cobuzzi!!! Great job!! And speaking of payers, we had a great discussion on the list about how the CRN list serve is very open minded to all: to providers, auditors, consultants, payers, etc. We should all try to be one big happy family - and I think we accomplish that here!

Lastly, I think there was a “brief” discussion about consultations. I’m not sure, I thought I may have caught an e-mail or two…or TWENTY on this subject. Between the information we’ve been receiving through the OIG, CMS, the PRIT memo, Dr. Whitten (Noridian Medicare Carrier), Quin, Collette, Barbara, Connie, Chris, and a host of others have been scrambling to clarify the new information regarding consultations. Can the requester transfer care without the consultant's input? Can the consultant bill for a consultation without the request in writing? Should the patient be a new patient or a consult if the physician treats the problem? These are questions that really can’t be answered clearly at this time. But, if you’d like to join in on the conversation you can start by looking at the thread http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/CRN-L/message/53161. This has been a very informative and lively discussion. I, personally, love when we really get into a topic like this.

A busy AND informative group!!!

Joining the list serve: $0
Asking questions on the list serve: $0
Reading your bi-weekly CRN newsletter: $0
Advice received on the list serve: Priceless
The value of reading your bi-weekly CRN newsletter: Priceless

Until next time,

--Suzan

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The Coding Sleuth

by Tara Conklin, CPC

The Case of the Maddening Modifiers – Last Episode…Promise

This is our last trip in the rather frightening neighborhood of modifiers. So far we have taken the bark out of E&M modifiers, Pre-surgical and post-surgical modifiers. We have so far survived with only bumps and bruises. Our last trek is going to take us face to face with modifiers used for procedures in the post-operative period.

All too often patients end up back in the operating room during the post-operative period of another period. Sometimes the reason may be related to the previous procedure; other times it’s for something all together different. What’s important is painting the perfect picture of what happened on the claim.

-76 Our first modifier is used to report a repeat procedure by the same physician. This may seem pretty straight forward but it has a few little nuances. Most of the time this modifier only comes in handy when the same procedure, reported by the same CPT code, is repeated on the same day. This is commonly used when x-rays are done again the same day after fracture casting, to check for alignment. Another use many be when more than one EKG is performed or injections. Any number of reasons could apply. The key is remembering these key components; the same day (usually), the same CPT code, most of the time the same site or reason.

-77 Looks a lot like its maternal twin -76. To be honest, it look and acts and walks just like -76. The only thing that changes is the physician performing the procedure.

-78 & -79. We’ll look at both of these together since they bring us into territory that can often leave any coder lost in confusion. Return to the operating room for a related or unrelated procedure during the post-operative period is all about determining just exactly what is considered “related.” Perhaps the best way to explain this is to understand it’s not always about the medical condition that prompted the return procedure. Granted the medical condition can be an important factor but the first thing a coder should ask themselves is “is the medical condition being treated directly related to the initial medical condition and at the same or different site from the first procedure.” For example, did an abdominal abscess initially incised and drained require additional draining during the postoperative procedure? Perhaps the abscess was found to be larger than initially thought and a new incision is made to gain access to the rest of the abscess. Even though a new surgical site was created, the condition prompting the procedure is the same condition treated originally.

Another example of a “related procedure” is when a complication arises which requires a new procedure, such as an infected incision site. If a graft inserted initially becomes thrombosed, or infected and a new graft is inserted during the postoperative period, this also would be a related procedure even if the new graft was at a completely different site.

An unrelated procedure would of course be the complete opposite of the example listed above. However, anything else done for a separate condition would also be unrelated. A colostomy during the postoperative period of a lung lobectomy would be unrelated…for obvious reasons. Let’s look at our vascular bypass graft. If during the postoperative period the patient develops an occlusion at a different site or perhaps the occlusion was already pre-existing and another graft is inserted, this would be unrelated to the original procedure because it’s independent of the original graft and condition.

Now that you understand related vs. nonrelated, we’re not quite done yet. The last modifier we need to examine is modifier 58. This appears to be similar to 78 because they are both used to report a “related” procedure during the post-operative period. 58 is used primarily to report staged procedures (a procedure that was scheduled to be done or known it would need to be done, prior to the first trip to the operating room). This second surgery may be completely different and independent of the first procedure. Multiple procedures may be scheduled at the same time but for certain reasons, they all need to be carried out at different times. All scheduled procedures, subsequent to the initial surgery would be billed with modifier 58 whether they are related or not. The trick to this one is it’s not used to report a complication arising during the postoperative period. This would fall back on 78 and 79. An example may arise when a patient is scheduled to have several diskectomies done. Howeve,r to promote healing or to reduce the discomfort to the patient, they are all scheduled on separate days. Let’s say a disc from the cervical spine, one from the thoracic and one from the lumbar are all scheduled for surgery. Their conditions are all independent but they are done on different days. Perhaps a patient suffered three bulging lumbar discs from a traumatic fall. The conditions are related but they are operated on separately on different days. These are all examples in which modifier 58 would be used and not 78 or 79.

I hope this helps to clear up some of the confusion with some of the most commonly used modifiers. Together they make a formidable gang, but get them all separate of one another and they crumble like cake. If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me The Coding Sleuth at tlconklin@gmail.com.

Until next time coders...

--Tara

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TeleWebinar Update

by Barbara J. Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC, CPC-H, CHBME President, CRN Continuing Education, Inc.

Shared Document Collection Initiative:

I am spearheading a collection of forms and documents to upload and provide for download in the shared document section of the CRN forums. I plan on doing this topic by topic. The first topic is Self Pay and Financial Policy forms. I am collecting forms related to self pay policies, non-participation, cash services (non-covered services) and financial policies. I will take the forms and then load them up onto the CRN in the Shared documents section for us all to use and download. Better yet, when you need them, they will be found via the search engine on the CRN Forums.

So, if you have a form to share with me and your fellow CRN members, please send it to me. The best is if it is in a word format, then you can email it to me directly, b.cobuzzi@att.net Or, if it is an adobe document (scanned or otherwise), similarly you can email it to me directly. 

If you do not have the form in an electronic format, you can fax to me and I will have to scan it (which will not have as good quality in shared documents, but we will take what we can get.) My fax number is 732-542-3824. Or, if you have a scanner, you can scan it to a PDF and email it to me at b.cobuzzi@att.net (that way it is one less scan than if it is faxed and scanned).

Thanks so much. This is one of many document collection initiatives that I am leading to beef up our shared documents and resources section of the CRN forums. I figured I would do it topic by topic. I look forward to your contributions.

Vacation was terrific with my family. My daughters got to re-know their mother and my husband re-meet his wife after all the travel I have been doing. It seems that my coding colleagues have gotten to see me more often than my family; I think many of the readers of this newsletter understands this all too well. Now I have a month at home to look forward to for the month of May and then off to travel again in May also. So, we have some plans to record some new telewebinars in May to add to our library of continuing education for the CRN Community.

Don’t forget the classes currently available, Employee Overtime-Is Your Practice At Compliance Risk? taught by Pati Trites. Many physician practices underestimate the risk involved in making a mistake in administering the wage/hour laws. One of the most common mistakes made is improperly classifying certain employees as exempt from the wage and hour laws and not paying overtime when it is required. What about work time while traveling and the overtime considerations. This has not only great impact on the practice’s operations, but on their compliance program. One of the key elements of a compliance program is your employee policy manual. Come listen to Pati speak on this very timely topic. She recorded this class on 3/14/06 and it is available now for download on the CRNShoppe at TW_EmpOtCompliance. I have the wonderful opportunity of listening to all of these classes when they are being recorded and I have to tell you that it was extremely informative and of a lot of use for a practice. Not only did Pati address overtime rules, but she also touched on issues such as employees versus independent contractors and how to determine if an employee qualifies for an independent contractor. As we have more and more employees telecommute, these are important issues to grapple with and address to make sure your organization is within compliance of federal and/or state guidelines. Pati provided the information and tools to evaluate the employee and the appropriate status under which they should be paid. The practice’s employee manual and handbook is an integral and key aspect of the practice’s compliance program, and thus, this is important in making sure your business is in compliance with employment laws. If you have not started your compliance program, starting here will be starting your compliance program with your compliance program.

The second class that Pati Trites recorded for CRN Telewebinars was; Mandatory Compliance Programs Have Arrived. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 has made it mandatory to have a fraud and abuse compliance program by Jan 1, 2007. This applies to all entities that pay or receive at least $5 million in Medicaid funds. Are you ready? Find out how to comply with the law. Even if you are not a large practice, and required by law, there are a lot of small things you can do to start your compliance pathway. Compliance is not only a good idea from a regulatory point of view, but history has proven that good compliance is actually an excellent aspect in cost control, increased patient outcomes, patient satisfaction and increased employee satisfaction. Pati provides many practical tools for you as you either are starting to plan a new compliance program or you are reviewing your existing compliance program. This continues to be a very timely topic. This is about how do you get started and stay on track with your compliance activities; how to not have them overwhelm you, and how do they fit into your daily activities. Compliance is not just for the big operations and you can do it. This course is available on the CRN Shoppe to purchase the recording at TW_Compliance.

Pati’s third class is near and dear to my heart. The class, Evaluating EMR/EHR Systems for Compliance? addresses an area of EMR/EHR evaluation that seems to be overlooked in many system reviews. This is so important as the more we travel down the HIPAA security road and as automatic encoders become more prevalent, there will be more and more pressure on practices to prove that their electronic systems comply with certain audit and compliance issues. These systems are very expensive and their implementation is often a very rocky road. A practice cannot afford to take this lightly and not consider the compliance related issues when evaluating these systems. This recording is available on the CRN Shoppe for purchase at TW_EMR-EHR.

First, Pati taught Employee Overtime-Is Your Practice At Compliance Risk? Many physician practices underestimate the risk involved in making a mistake in administering the wage/hour laws. One of the most common mistakes made is improperly classifying certain employees as exempt from the wage and hour laws and not paying overtime when it is required. What about work time while traveling and the overtime considerations. This has not only great impact on the practice’s operations, but on their compliance program. One of the key elements of a compliance program is your employee policy manual. Come listen to Pati speak on this very timely topic. She recorded this class on 3/14/06 and it is available now for download on the CRNShoppe at TW_EmpOtCompliance. I have the wonderful opportunity of listening to all of these classes when they are being recorded and I have to tell you that it was extremely informative and of a lot of use for a practice. Not only did Pati address overtime rules, but she also touched on issues such as employees versus independent contractors and how to determine if an employee qualifies for an independent contractor. As we have more and more employees telecommute, these are important issues to grapple with and address to make sure your organization is within compliance of federal and/or state guidelines. Pati provided the information and tools to evaluate the employee and the appropriate status under which they should be paid. The practice’s employee manual and handbook is an integral and key aspect of the practice’s compliance program, and thus, this is important in making sure your business is in compliance with employment laws. If you have not started your compliance program, starting here will be starting your compliance program with your compliance program.

The second class that Pati Trites recorded was; Mandatory Compliance Programs Have Arrived. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 has made it mandatory to have a fraud and abuse compliance program by Jan 1, 2007. This applies to all entities that pay or receive at least $5 million in Medicaid funds. Are you ready? Find out how to comply with the law. Even if you are not a large practice, there are a lot of small things you can do to start your compliance pathway. Pati provides many practical tools for you as you either are starting to plan a new compliance program or you are reviewing your existing compliance program. This continues to be a very timely topic. This is about how do you get started and stay on track with your compliance activities; how to not have them overwhelm you, and how do they fit into your daily activities. Compliance is not just for the big operations and you can do it. This course is available on the CRN Shoppe to purchase the recording at TW_Compliance.

Pati’s third class is near and dear to my heart. The class, Evaluating EMR/EHR Systems for Compliance? addresses an area of EMR/EHR evaluation that seems to be overlooked in many system reviews. This is so important as the more we travel down the HIPAA security road and as automatic encoders become more prevalent, there will be more and more pressure on practices to prove that their electronic systems comply with certain audit and compliance issues. These systems are very expensive and their implementation is often a very rocky road. A practice cannot afford to take this lightly and not consider the compliance related issues when evaluating these systems. This recording is available on the CRN Shoppe for purchase at TW_EMR-EHR.

Last of the most recent classes, but definitely not least, Deb Grider is doing another minicourse for CRN CE on Coding Consulting 101. I have seen the slides and it is a terrific class. A lot of us are aware of the confusion that surrounds the “clarification” that CMS created when they updated section 30.6.10 of the Claims Processing Manual (Chapter 29), and a lot of concern exists on how we operate within the parameters that CMS has placed on the physicians, the practices and the coders. Deb addresses the AMA definition of Consultations as well as the CMS Guidelines as defined and clarified in Chapter 29 of the Claims Processing Manual (section 30.6.10). Deb brings clarity where there was fog and has some great suggestions for systems and procedures in the practice. She also has suggestions for you to bring back to your physicians on how they document the requests for consultations when they are truly requests for opinions. Deb has audited many charts, in and outpatient and it is through that experience that she can bring understanding to this topic, as well as practical operating advice. To order this minicourse, go to TW_ConsultationCoding101.

We have some other classes lined up for May as well. I received a few emails requesting classes on Neurosurgery. So, Voila, Eric Sandhusen is developing a two-part mini course series on Neurosurgery, part 1 on the spine and part II on the brain. We have also been requested to develop something on ASC’s. I have not started on that one, but I promise I will find the appropriate Subject Matter Expert (SME) for that topic. The point here is that a few people have emailed me with their needs and we have been able to be responsive with finding the right SME’s for those topics and got them scheduled. So, do not be afraid to email me at b.cobuzzi@att.net with our needs and I will look into whether we can get your needed topics scheduled.

Do not forget to look on the CRN CE web site at www.crnshoppe.com/tw and see all the classes that are already there available for purchase. There are a few on auditing, on appeals, on modifiers, on E&M, on radiology, on marketing the independent billing company, on non-physician practitioners and more. Go to the web site and see our ever-growing library of continuing education and CEU opportunities. Put a group around the phone (and if you want, a computer, but it is not necessary) and you all can listen to the class together for one fee of $139. What better, cost effective way do you have to educate your office? This is about having great teachers and timely topics that are worth the time and effort to listen and learn!

Get the word out to your colleagues about this great opportunity for education that can be used for compliance and CEU’s. We provide CEU’s from the AAPC, AMBA and HCR (Healthcare Compliance Resources). Stay tuned - this is just getting bigger and better and we are very excited to be bringing it to you.

Remember, all you need is a phone to participate. Click here to check it out.

Upcoming Events:

	Employee Overtime-Is Your Practice At Compliance Risk? Patricia A. Trites, MPA, CHBC, CPC, EMS, CHCC, CHCO, CHP
	Mandatory Compliance Programs Have Arrived Patricia A. Trites, MPA, CHBC, CPC, EMS, CHCC, CHCO, CHP
	Evaluating EMR/EHR Systems for Compliance? Patricia A. Trites, MPA, CHBC, CPC, EMS, CHCC, CHCO, CHP
	Consultation Coding 101 Deborah Grider, CPC, CPC-H, CPC-P, CCS-P, EMS

Upcoming Speakers - Dates to be set

• Marvel Hammer
• Frank Cohen
• Pam Biffle
• Nancy Reading
• Caral Edelberg
• Terry Leone
• Linda Martien
• Brenda Chidester

Interested in becoming a speaker? E-mail me.

Join our CEU Notification List to be notified when new topics are added.

Join us on CRN CE as we experience the future of coding, compliance, billing and reimbursement education. Go to http://www.CRNShoppe.com/tw to purchase your TeleWebinars. Go to http://www.CRN-CE.com to explore the CRN Continuing Education site. Have a great 2 weeks until we chat again! 

--Barbara

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Institute News

by Pam Biffle, CPC CRN Coach

CRN Institute News

Do you have a CRN Institute Student Success Story to share? Just drop an e-mail to pam@crn-institute.com. Let us know about your promotions, new jobs and new credentials or anything else you would like to share!

If you need college credit E-mail Laureen about how to enroll at Drexel University even if you don't live anywhere near Philadelphia. New classes start in June.

Classes are also held at Christina Healthcare in Delaware. E-mail Laureen if you are interested in joining this group.

For those working full time in NJ the CRN Institute is forming a consortium where employers can take advantage of a grant program that provides training funds (including books and possibly the board exam fees) to provide their employees added skills. The employer contributes the paid time for the employee to attend the training. For more information and to be put on the interested list E-mail Laureen.

You might want to take a look at our self-study course in Pharmacology if you are planning on sitting for the CCS exam.

Most of you are aware that we offer courses in Medical Billing, Physician Coding and Hospital Coding but were you aware that we also offer self-study courses in Pathophysiology and Pharmacology for only $199.00 each. Check back as we announce new courses now under development. Let us know what new courses you would like to see the CRN Institute offer.

Don’t forget we offer payment plans $195.00 down and $100.00 a month.

Student Success Stories

Congratulations to Patricia Zeidman for passing her CPC exam. Patricia sat for her exam at the AAPC’s National Meeting this April in St Louis.

If you are a CRN student and have recently gotten a new credential, job or have something exciting you want to share send it to me so you can be featured in our next issue.

Until next time...

--Pam

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CRN Member Highlight

Cyndee Weston, CMRS

Where are you from?
Davis , Oklahoma

What is your favorite activity?
I would have to say hanging out with family and friends at the lake.

Do you have any hobbies?
I really don’t have time for any hobbies. If I do have extra time, I like to spend it playing with my Grandson or I read anything that is available.

What credentials do you hold?
CMRS – Certified Medical Reimbursement Specialist.

What organizations do you belong to and how have they helped your career?
I am the director of the American Medical Billing Association (AMBA) and I am involved in several committees and special projects related to the Association. Working with the members of AMBA has been allowed me to network with people and businesses from across the nation to share information and ideas. I am also a member of several other industry organizations and I subscribe to dozens of Internet resources.

How did you get into the field of medical billing and coding?
Early on in my career, I worked as a claims examiner and throughout that part of my life, I worked for a couple of major insurance companies as well as a small third party administrator. We didn’t see things from the same view. I liked to pay everything I could, but the carriers wanted to deny everything they could. And, I got very frustrated with policy interpretations and carrier mentality. To the company, it was just business, but to me, there were people behind the policy. Often times, the insured’s were so negatively affected by questionable interpretive decisions that I found it deeply troubling to have to deny coverage for so many illnesses.

Then in the late eighties, I began working in a special new unit paying (NEIC) electronic claims. I was so fascinated by them because I didn’t have to key in all that data from the claim forms. They made my job so much easier and the more claims I processed, the more I realized how important this was for the industry. One day I met an individual that introduced me to his electronic claims billing program. After having seen all the mistakes that providers made on their claims, and with the early realization that electronic claims were the future, I was convinced that I could be both a patient’s advocate and help doctors get paid quicker. That eventually led me to start my own medical billing business. I’ve never regretted it.

What is your current position?
Executive Director, AMBA

What is one of your accomplishments in this field that you are most proud of?
After working several years at providing billing services, I realized there was a huge need for billers to be able to share information and ideas. Back in the day, that was through bulletin board systems. When the Internet began to evolve, my contacts and resources grew enormously and that is when I began to organize the Association. AMBA has since grown by leaps and bounds and today; I devote all of my time to working with small billers to bring them the educational resources and networking opportunities they require to operate ethically and successfully. I would have to say that meeting so many great people through AMBA and bringing them together is probably THE most rewarding thing I have done.

What do you find most exciting about this field?
I have found that there is constantly something to learn. It’s a challenge every single day. I love billing and all that goes with it and if it ever gets boring, that’s when it will be time for me to make a change.

What do you find most frustrating?
There are a couple of major frustrations for me – I’m painfully reminded day in and day out of how insurance companies bilk millions of people out of their hard earned money, only to pay doctors less while decreasing coverage and increasing premiums and requirements. It’s like they say – the ones with all the money get to make all the rules.

My other big frustration is that our Government not only sets an example for offshore outsourcing of jobs, but they fail to regulate all of the private health and financial information being freely distributed to people in third world countries where no court of law would ever prosecute or have jurisdiction regarding improper and or wrongful disclosures. I couldn’t get a printout of the prescriptions filled for my 18 year old daughter who is on my insurance policy for tax purposes, but it’s okay for my PHI to be sent to another country for processing. It just doesn’t make sense.

What do you feel the future holds for this field?
I think insurance carriers will continue to find more ways to pay doctors less while requiring them to provide better care and face new requirements. The skill level necessary to get claims paid will rise even higher and the providers that don’t work smarter are going to face dire consequences. Overall, I think we will see a big decrease in the number of sole practitioners. Small providers simply will not be able to remain competitive in the services they provide unless they tighten their belts, become more efficient at collecting money and make better use of technology.

What would you tell someone just starting out in this field?
If you do a good job, there will always be work. Anyone can do a bad job and there are plenty of those people out here. That means you have to work hard at learning because things change all the time in this industry and there is plenty to learn. It’s not easy, but with a solid knowledge foundation, good principles and strong ethics and a lot of dedication, medical billing can be very rewarding.

If there was one thing you could change about this field what would it be?
I would deregulate the monopoly that the AMA has on CPT codes. A Monopoly is characterized by a lack of economic competition for the good or service that they provide and a lack of viable substitute goods. It’s a situation where there is only one provider of a kind of product or service. Our entire industry uses this universal code set – payers, providers and billers alike. It is difficult even to teach or be protected under fair use if you’re teaching a comprehensive course that covers more than a few codes. The licensing requirements for use of CPT codes in training materials are difficult to comply with, especially for small businesses. CMS has accepted, endorsed and required the use of CPT (royalty-free since 1983) because they don’t have a better system. What amazes me is that we don’t use CPT codes due to customer satisfaction – we use them because we have to and there is little else that can be done.

Who do you consider a mentor?
Lots of people, actually. Because there is wide-spread availability of information on email lists, I look to the experts that volunteer their time and knowledge on a daily basis – you all know who you are and I cannot thank you enough.

What is your favorite billing or coding product?
The E&M slide rules that Don Self sells are the best and easiest to use product I’ve seen.

What is your affiliation with the CRN and how has that helped you?
Both Laureen and Barbara have provided excellent educational resources of information through the CRN. They are both great trainers/speakers and are always encouraged and welcomed back to AMBA conferences by popular demand. Our members have told us they feel that Laureen’s CPC Prep courses have made all the difference in their passing the CPC exam. In all, I would say that the CRN has made a great educational difference in many ways for a lot of people.

Provide any contact information you are comfortable with:
Cyndee Weston can be reached at (580) 622-2624 or via email at cyndeew@brightok.net

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For 2006, BillFlash.com has a fresh new look to continue to provide you the product leadership and marketing support you need to create substantial recurring income.

Current users will appreciate the following enhancements and have been notified of such:

• SIGN IN has been added directly on the home page to save clicks.

• Improved Menu structure and usability

The BIG NEWS is the site has been completely redesigned to help you sell more in the following ways:

• The site has a fresh and appealing new look.

• The home page now focuses on two marketing objectives:

  1) To view the DEMO
  2) To ENROLL

• We are promoting our compelling and unique ability to offer users retained CONTROL through eApprove while still obtaining OUTSOURCING EFFICIENCY.

• The Learn More section has been updated with easier to read and improved content. In particular, the Brochures and Samples pages now contain information in clear tables for faster location of desired materials.

• Our DEMO update, which will highlight these exciting improvements, will be released in late May

Congratulations to our newest members of the $5k, $10k, and $20k commission levels and thank you to all who fueled BillFlash’s extraordinary growth in 2005. We look forward to working with you to achieve your goals for establishing recurring income in 2006.

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TIP from CRNCodingToday.com:
Many sections of the CPT book have section notes. These notes tell you special coding instructions for a series of codes. CRNCodingToday now has those notes available for you. Whenever you look up a code, check the top of the screen for the list of words in blue. Each of these words is linked to a specific section of the CPT book.

POINT>CLICK>CODE to view CPT section notes. Get it right! Use CRNCodingToday! It is fast! It is easy! It is correct!

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