March 2008

Right Now Tips: 5 quick tips for using ABNs
Coding Rock Star: Sharon Klug Earns her ACS-EM
We Want Your Feedback!
March 27 -- Sign up now for Urology Test Prep Audio
Upcoming Conferences to Earn CEUs or Get Certified

5 quick tips for using ABNs

The team at the Specialty Coding Advisor wants you to remember these five things when using advance beneficiary notices (ABNs):

1. Don’t get carried away. Once you get practitioners on the ABN bandwagon, watch out for routine use of ABNs. Every patient visit and every service doesn’t warrant an ABN.
   
2. Do give your patient a copy of the ABN. And keep the original in his file.
   
3. Don’t use ABNs for services you know Medicare or your carrier never covers. ABNs are service- and patient-specific. In addition, you can’t use Medicare’s ABN form for other payers.
   
4. Don’t forget modifier GA. You’ll append this modifier to the claim to let your carrier know you’ve gotten an ABN from the patient. Modifier GA doesn’t tell your carrier to deny a claim and won’t trigger an automatic denial.
   
5. Do keep an eye out for the new ABN. You have to use Medicare’s official ABN form – but keep in mind that a new one currently is in the works.

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Coding Rock Star: Sharon Klug Earns her ACS-EM Credential

Meet Sharon Klug, who earned her Advanced Coding Specialist certification in E/M Auditing in May 2007.

Sharon came into coding after working as a nurse manager in a large multi-specialty clinic. She admits that a lot of her knowledge of coding initially was “self-taught”. Then, she made it a priority to start attending coding-related conference in order to increase her knowledgebase. Her company didn’t have a formal billing department and she was asked if she wanted to participate in the development such a department. Sharon jumped at the chance! Sharon has since earned her CPC and her PMCC teaching certificate. Now, after over 20 years in the healthcare industry, Sharon is the Supervisor of Provider Coding Education for a large healthcare provider in the Midwest.

What does Sharon think about certification? What encouragement would she give anyone thinking about taking the exam? Did her doctors treat her differently after certification? Sharon takes time out of her busy schedule to chat with BMSC about what earning the ACS-EM credential has meant to her – personally and professionally.

BMSC: Why is it important for coders to have a coding certification?
Sharon: I currently teach a coding curriculum to my staff of coders. Our company identified a need for coders to become certified as a benefit to physicians and coders alike. This certification also adds a level of protection for our providers.

BMSC: How did you hear about BMSC and the E/M Auditing credential?
Sharon: Actually, I won a free registration at the Specialty Coding Extravaganza, so since I do E/M coding education and auditing most of the time, I thought that was a good fit for me.

BMSC: How did you prepare for the examination? What made you decide to “just do it” and take this exam?
Sharon: I really didn’t do a lot to prepare because I do E/M coding on a daily basis. As a precaution, I did review the documentation guidelines and asked questions about things I thought were subjective.

BMSC: What did you think of the exam after you took it?
Sharon: Overall, I thought it was a fair exam. The complexity of exam ranged from easy to difficult.

BMSC: What was the first thing you did when you found out that you had passed the exam?
Sharon: Once I learned that I had passed, I immediately called my proctor and let her know. And I quickly added the credentials after my name in my email signature.

BMSC: Did your staff or doctors treat you any differently once you became certified?
Sharon: No one overtly treated me differently. However, it comes out when I am questioned regarding coding decisions with doctors or other coding staff. Earning this certification improved my self-image and self-confidence. And because of that, it gives me a more confident base to present this information to the doctors.

BMSC: What would you tell any coder who is on the fence about whether they should take an Advanced Coding Specialist exam?
Sharon: I would ask them “did you take the basic first step examination, and how did you do?” I would encourage everyone to make sure that they have the foundation [coding education and experience] to be successful before taking the test. If they say they did well and if they believe they’re functioning at a higher level, then go for it!

Thanks Sharon for sharing your story with BMSC. Your courage to "just do it" and take the test will inspire thousands of coders who are on the fence about certification.

Did you recently get certified with an ACS, SCP or CCP-P credential from BMSC? Coders just like you want to hear your story. Contact BMSC today to share your success story.

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We Want Your Feedback!

Tell us what you want to see monthly in your Specialty Coding Advisor. Complete this survey by March 31, 2008 and let your voice be heard! Give us your feedback by going here:
www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey.zgi?p=WEB227KWL8CJLZ

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March 27 -- Urology Test Prep Audio Conference

Are you a urology coder who is interested earning BMSC certification?

On March 27, BMSC will host the Secrets to Earning Your Urology Coding Certification audio conference, beginning at 1:00 p.m. EST. Your speaker for this audio conference will be Stephanie Stinchcomb, leader of BMSC's Urology specialty board and one of the creators of the exam. No question is out of bounds for this audio conference. Let Stephanie tell you:

• How many questions are on the exam
• How many sections are on the exam
• What types of questions do exam candidates ALWAYS get incorrect
• Which exam is best for you? SCP-UR or ACS-UR
• Practice tips to help you prepare

This is one audio conference you do not want to miss!

Stephanie's Secrets to Earning Your Urology Coding Certification ease any of your anxiety about your urology-specific BMSC exam. Slots are filling up fast. Register today at http://www.decisionhealth.com/conferences/A1432/home.html

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Upcoming Events

Here are some upcoming events to help you prepare for certification or earn CEUs!

Date: March 20
Event: Incident-to and Shared Service Strategies to Boost Your Revenues
Register: www.decisionhealth.com/conferences/A1472/home.html
CEUs: 1.5 ACS, SCP

Date: March 26
Event: Mine the Medicare Fee Schedule for Coding Gems
Register: www.decisionhealth.com/conferences/A1461/home.html
CEUs: 1.5 ACS, SCP

Date: April 1
Event: Master the CCI 14.1
Register: www.decisionhealth.com/conferences/A1484/home.html
CEUs: 1.5 ACS, SCP

Date: April 2
Event: Elbow and Forearm Procedure Coding: Get up-to-speed on significant changes
Register: www.decisionhealth.com/conferences/A1488/home.html
CEUs: 1.5 ACS, SCP

Date: April 8
Event: Freestanding ASC Coding in 08: Conquer 800 new codes
Register: www.decisionhealth.com/conferences/A1473/home.html

Date: April 9
Event: Epidurals: Coding for Injections, Fluoroscopy, and more
Register: www.decisionhealth.com/conferences/A1474/home.html
CEUs: 1.5 ACS, SCP

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