In this episode, Victoria Hernandez, Senior Coding Analyst at BESLER, provides us with a glimpse into BESLER’s next webinar in The Hospital Finance Academy, The Basics of Procedure Coding, presented live on Wednesday, December 4, at 1 PM ET.
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Learn how to listen to The Hospital Finance Podcast® on your mobile device.Highlights of this episode include:
- Which elements of PCS coding are the most challenging
- What the target audience is for this webinar
- Specific body system procedures that’s going to be covered during this webinar
- What other PCS topics will be covered during this webinar
Kelly Wisness: Hi, this is Kelly Wisness. Welcome back to the award-winning Hospital Finance Podcast. We’re pleased to welcome back Victoria Hernandez, Senior Coding Analyst at BESLER. In this episode, Victoria will provide us with a glimpse into BESLER’s next live webinar as part of BESLER’s The Hospital Finance Academy, The Basics of Procedure Coding, that she is presenting live on Wednesday, December 4th at 1 PM, Eastern Time. Welcome back, and thank you for joining us, Victoria.
Victoria Hernandez: Thank you, Kelly. I’m excited to be here to share about our December 4th webinar. Thank you for having me.
Kelly: We’re happy to have you. Well, let’s go ahead and jump in. So, it looks like you’ll be reviewing ICD-10 PCS Procedure Coding on your next webinar on December 4th. I understand that ICD-10 PCS has been in effect for several years now, yet many coding professionals have found many areas still quite challenging. Can you share some information on which elements of PCS coding are most challenging?
Victoria: Yes, definitely. I don’t ever underestimate ICD-10 PCS. Even though the PCS code book is so much smaller compared to the ICD-10 CM code book, it’s definitely not apples-to-apples comparison. Well, first, coding professionals have to understand the coding conventions. So that’s one specific area on its own. Then there’s the medical and surgical section guidelines. So that’s an even more detailed breakdown on what each character of the seven characters represents in an ICD-10 PCS code. I believe that this is one of the many areas where the coding complexity kicks in. Coding professionals have to have a clear understanding of the body system, the route operations, the body part, the approach, and also the device used. In many audits that I’ve performed, I’ve identified errors, trends, specifically on the route operation and approach. Another challenging area that I’ve identified in audits is the selection of principal procedures, especially when multiple invasive surgical procedures have been performed. I totally understand why coding professionals find all these areas challenging, because on top of that, there are also coding directives and updates published that we have to stay on top of.
Kelly: Yeah, definitely. I can understand how ongoing changes and updates can be challenging. So, the title of this webinar is The Basics of Procedure Coding. So, Victoria, what’s the target audience for this webinar?
Victoria: Actually, I don’t want the word “basics” to fool anyone. Although new coding professionals would definitely find this webinar beneficial, I encourage all coding professionals, new or seasoned, to tune in, especially since we’re now introduced to the digital world. We have telehealth, AI, our good old artificial intelligence, right? Increase of new advanced technology, quality and quantity standards are required. Sections of the procedure coding guidelines are also expanding. So those are just to name a few things, but I believe this webinar would serve as a good educational webinar to everybody.
Kelly: It definitely seems like it, yes, that it would appeal to all coding professionals, or really, anyone working with PCS Coding would find it very beneficial. So now PCS coding has many procedures involving different body systems, and I’m sure each one has its own challenging areas. Are there any specific body system procedures that you’re going to be covering during this webinar?
Victoria: We’ll definitely cover the code characters in detail first, well, since those apply to all procedures involving all body systems. But we will be performing hands-on step-by-step coding on route operations involving things like resection, transplantation, replacement. And as for specific body systems, there will be procedures involving the respiratory system. The gastrointestinal procedures, GI, and musculoskeletal and others.
Kelly: That’s great. And I’m sure the attendees would benefit from the step-by-step procedure coding and practice of case examples. Can you give us an idea of what other PCS topics you’re going to cover during this webinar?
Victoria: Sure. We’ll first have a refresher on the format, the structure, the alphabetic index, and the tables of ICD-10 PCS. Then we’ll jump into a deep dive step-by-step procedure coding review. So, this area should help provide clarification on those common errors identified in audits. Next, we will review the ICD-10 PCS coding guidelines. Sometimes I understand coding professionals don’t get the opportunity really to review the coding guidelines in detail and in its entirety. So, I believe that understanding each coding guideline is so valuable, especially when defending your code to external auditors or government agencies. So, then we’ll perform our hands-on coding of case examples, a variety of them, and this is where we actually apply our procedure coding knowledge.
Kelly: Wow, that sure is a lot of great educational information you’re going to be providing. It really does seem like it’s going to be really for all coding professionals, new and seasoned. So, Victoria, before we go, is there anything else you’d like to share with our audience?
Victoria: Yes, I would love to invite all our audience to please tune in to our upcoming Basics of Procedure Coding on December 4th. Honestly, it’s not only for coding professionals. I believe anyone who handles procedure codes in the whole revenue cycle process should attend. It will be beneficial for everyone.
Kelly: It definitely sounds like it. Well, we thank you so much for joining us, Victoria, and for sharing this sneak peek into your upcoming academy session, the Basics, not so basic, of Procedure Coding, that you’re presenting live on Wednesday, December 4th at 1 PM, Eastern Time. And as a bonus, you can earn CEU. Thanks again, Victoria.
Victoria: Thank you, Kelly.
Kelly: And thank you all for joining us for this episode of The Hospital Finance Podcast. Until next time…
[music] This concludes today’s episode of The Hospital Finance Podcast. For show notes and additional resources to help you protect and enhance revenue at your hospital, visit besler.com/podcasts. The Hospital Finance Podcast is a production of BESLER | SMART ABOUT REVENUE, TENACIOUS ABOUT RESULTS.
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