Errors in Pain Management Coding and Billing

Errors in Pain Management Coding and Billing
7 min read
02 November 2022

Regulations in the field of interventional pain management are enforced by the federal government and medical boards, the state governments, and various other regulatory authorities. A proper record of all medical treatments that include medical codes as well as proper bills is a crucial aspect of interventional pain management. The financial viability of any interventional pain management procedure is greatly affected by each modification that is made to the rules and regulations that govern this field.

The challenge of documenting, medical billing, or the coding process is a necessity for every doctor who practices in a private. On this page, we will discuss the main challenges that arise in the documentation and coding of the provision of pain management billing services and the best solution for every challenge.

Challenge 1: Portraying the Location of Pain Accurately

Although doctors undergo intense instruction to get familiar with the complexities of medical billing and the many codes that are used they might not be as educated in relation to what is clinical in procedures. Physicians might write in the exact location of the pain experienced by patients with constant pain on their medical records however, failing to accurately provide the details in their medical codes can provide insurance companies with ample reasons to reject reimbursement claims.

solution: Medical coders involved in the field of interventional pain management sector should be aware of the anatomical aspects such as the level of vertebral columns the structure of joint facets and innervations at certain locations. The accurate translation of this information from medical notes into codes requires a greater understanding of the human anatomy. This can be accomplished through the training of medical coders in short courses that cover the fundamentals of anatomy in medicine. This is the place where you can get your gears on to focus on education for coders with respect to pain Management specific Coding.

Challenge 2: Discrepancies in Documentation

Physicians are generally concerned about any tasks that aren't directly related to medical treatment, like writing medical histories and notes. These can result in differences between the procedures that are executed or the actual treatment offered and the written documents that describe the procedure. Every single missed step or mistake could lead to mistakes in billing, and increase the chance of denials of claims, not only but also the risk of being held accountable for negligent or criminal conduct.

Solutions: Physicians themselves or their financial supervisors need to educate all medical employees during their work on the implications of mistakes in the form of documents like loss of revenue, the impacts on earnings for physicians, and criminal liability. The company that bills for pain management provides that they have the right training and education for personnel in the office and others involved in the process and ensures that there are no gaps in processes and that everyone is aware of the details.

Challenge 3: Payer Policies, LCDs, and NCDs

Policies are continuously modified through The CMS as well as other insurance companies. Once the information about the changes is released to the public it is the duty of healthcare providers to modify or modify the medical billing procedures to comply with the latest guidelines. The failure to do this adversely affects only healthcare providers.

Solutions: All medical practices should have a specific team responsible for the financial aspects that the business practices. The team must be aware of any changes in policy that could be forthcoming and be ready to educate themselves and the team members on how to be able to deal with any changes. Medcare Mso, as a company, has a solid method of keeping track of changes and aligning our practices with the constantly changing guidelines issued by insurance companies, thereby ensuring an efficient flow of revenue for the practice.

Challenge 4: Reflecting on Medical Necessity

In the field of interventional pain treatment, the primary deciding element for reimbursement is the medical necessity of any medication or procedure. For patients who suffer from chronic pain and related diseases, determining the medical necessity of any treatment, and recording it in medical records is an extremely difficult process. Insurance companies may deny reimbursement claims for treatment that don't justify their medical need.

solution: The severity or level of pain has to be accurately described to justify the treatment or care given. Other information, such as the background of any previous injuries or imaging findings could be added to the description of pain to establish medical need.

Challenge 5: Difficulty in Specifying Degree and Type Of Pain

The pain can be extremely diverse in its nature. It could be of a sharp, numbing or stabbing sharp, or dull nature. Additionally, pain may be chronic, acute and chronic, or sudden in its beginning. The translation of the pain into codes is difficult and the inability to tackle this issue could cause errors and ambiguities regarding documentation as well as billing.

solution: Physicians should ensure that they have a precise feeling of pain in the patient and record it as accurately as is possible. This will allow coders to select the right code that matches the patient's pain and prevent unneeded issues that arise from this. ICD-10-CM includes specific codes to explain the causes of pain.

Worldwide millions have chronic back pain. The estimated price for the treatment of pain chronically in the US in the US alone is greater than 600 billion dollars. The field of interventional pain management can be stressful in the healthcare field because the number of patients increasing. The management of chronic pain can be a challenge as patients sometimes not be responsive to treatments.

When doctors are affected by the financial demands of running their practice this can be very difficult and stressful since they could be continuously facing financial loss and low income as a result of insufficient revenue management. The companies that bill for pain management are adept at dealing with interventions in the management of pain revenue cycles. We've handled the finances of many other practices and assisted them to achieve success. So, why not take care of yourself and let us assist you?

 

In case you have found a mistake in the text, please send a message to the author by selecting the mistake and pressing Ctrl-Enter.
Luke James 0
Content strategist
Comments (0)

    No comments yet

You must be logged in to comment.

Sign In / Sign Up