A career as a medical coder can be very rewarding as it offers numerous benefits, all of which contribute to a fulfilling and prosperous professional path. From job security in an industry characterized by high demand to flexible work arrangements, a career in medical coding provides several opportunities for professionals seeking growth, stability, and personal fulfillment. 

If you are interested in a proven new revenue stream while at the same time being able to provide access to courses that will lift up your providers and staff, we’d love to speak with you. We’d love to explain how a training partnership with Practice Management Institute can positively affect not only your bottom line, but enhance your role as a steward of the success of the providers and practices you serve. Here’s a testimonial from one of your peers:
 
“The Medical Society of Delaware is delighted to underscore the exceptional value and numerous benefits that our educational partnership has brought to our esteemed members and their medical practices. Since the inception of this collaboration, we have witnessed transformative outcomes that have significantly contributed to their professional growth and success.

Healthcare administrationcan be a fulfilling and stable professional path for new career-climbersthat are attracted to the business side of medicine – patient administration, medical coding, billing, auditing, office management, and compliance. Beyond the front desk there’s a whole team of professionals that support the clinicians by protecting patient privacy and enforcing compliance guidelines, reviewing medical documentation, processing insurance claims, billing, and posting payments. All these roles are vital to the health of a medical office and can be a pivotal step into a career in medical office administration. 

Obtaining a certification as a medical coder can be a pivotal step in accessing lucrative job opportunities and establishing yourself as a legitimate medical coding professional.

What does a medical coder do?

Before diving right into the requirements to obtaining a medical coding certification, it’s important to understand what medical coders do. Medical Coders translate healthcare visits, diagnoses, and procedures into universally standardized codes for billing and data analysis. The primary role of a medical coder is to ensure the consistency and accuracy of medical records and the reimbursement processes.

 Practice Management Institute Partners with Hendrick Health Regional Services to Bring Important Web-based Programming to 139 Affiliated Regional Practice Staff

On 2/9/2024 , Hendrick Health Regional Services will host the important Patient Collections/Accounts Receivable Management and E/M Chart Auditing for Physician Services 3-hour webinars to affiliated practice staff in Abilene and 19 West-Texas Counties.

The Patient Collections/Accounts Receivable Management course covers A/R as well as compliance and practice management efforts. Students will learn to improve insurance data collection, eligibility verification, patient communication, and to reduce payment problems that can crush the bottom-line success of the practice. In our E/M Chart Auditing for Physician Services session, participants will learn to improve knowledge of level of service audits to reduce practice risk /promote accurate claim submission. The sessions will be led by PMI faculty leader Jan Hailey MHL, CMC, CMCO, CMIS, CMOM, CMCA E/M, and moderated by Jessica Yourdon, PMI’s Social Media & Content Coordinator.

Sincere thanks to Craig Hunnicutt, Director, Regional Services, Kim Hudson, Coordinator of Provider Outreach and to Amanda Goodson, Provider Outreach, for the consistently demonstrated commitment they each have to the success of medical practices, providers, and staff served regionally by Hendrick Health. What a turnout!

Interested in a similar academic partnership with PMI?  If your organization would like more information about partnering with PMI, please contact Michael Moore at 800-259-5562, Ext. 270 or email Michael directly at mmoore@pmimd.com. 

Practice Management Institute Expands Partnership with Tyler Junior College to Bring Important Continuing Education Opportunities to Local and Regional Medical Practice Staff

PMI is pleased to announce that we are expanding our partnership with Tyler Junior College (TJC).   Working closely to offer PMI continuing educational programming covering front desk operations, patient experience, coding, billing, compliance, and reimbursement, as well as the nationally recognized PMI certifications, this new phase in our partnership will focus exclusively on the success of the local and regional healthcare industry, providers, and practice staff.

Practice Management Institute (PMI) has named Washington County Community College (WCCC) its 2023 Outstanding National Host Partner. The award, chosen nationally from among hundreds of hospital, college, medical society, physician service group and program host partners, is given to an organization who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to partnering with PMI for the purposes of advancing educational opportunities within their service area and state.

This week in Buffalo- PMI will present new instructor-led webinars with long-time PMI host Catholic Medical Partners.

PMI is a proud educational partner of Catholic Medical Partners in Buffalo, NY. For 27 years, we have joined forces to provide quality educational and credentialing programming to local and regional medical practice staff, and we’re thrilled to kick off yet another year of much needed programming to keep practice staff in the know.

Leading the 2024 Reimbursement Update: CPT© and Medicare Compliance and Mastering EM Coding sessions will be PMI faculty presenter Audrey Coaxum, CHC, CPC, CEMC, CMC, CMIS, CMOM, CMCO. Audrey is an exceptional instructor, and is known nationally for her easy to follow teaching skills and exceptional knowledge base.

New CPT® code and regulatory changes for 2024 will go into effect on January 1st. Numerous proposals include conversion factor payment increases for primary care / direct patient care, caregiver training services, and services involving community health workers, care navigators, and peer support specialists. The implementation of a separate add-on payment for HCPCS code G2211 is also proposed, which is expected to improve the accuracy of payment for primary and longitudinal care.
 
In the morning session, Audrey will help prepare attendees for the impact of coding and regulatory changes. This annual update program will help students forecast the impact on billing for their particular specialty in 2024. The training will help participants reduce denials and stay in compliance in the New Year. All proposed key changes to the procedural code set, guidelines and issues that may impact provider reimbursement are being addressed.

E/M lays the groundwork for the reimbursement process. It is also a well-known audit trigger. In the afternoon Mastering EM Coding session,  Audrey will provide the tools needed to internally monitor billing compliance. Participants will learn to relate accurate code selection to proper reimbursement, and will receive a comprehensive explanation of E/M coding and documentation guidelines, and identification of accurate and clinically useful information.
 
Huge shout out to Lea Passage, MHA, CLP, Physician’s Relations Specialist, for once again playing host, and for continually having the backs of her providers and staff.

The Catholic Medical Partners mission is to provide a high-performing health care system that continuously improves upon the delivery of health care to the populations they service, and to demonstrate improvements in the patient experience, preventative health, and the care and treatment of patients with high burden of illness with a lower the cost trend.

Today in Spartanburg, SC- PMI instructor-led webinars with long-time PMI partner Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System/Regional HealthPlus!

PMI is a proud educational partner of Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in Spartanburg, SC. For 24 years, we have joined forces to provide quality educational and credentialing programming to local and regional medical practice staff, and we know we’ve made a difference!

On hand to teach the morning 2024 Reimbursement Update: CPT and Medicare Compliance session and the afternoon Successful Insurance Claims Processing sessions will be PMI faculty presenter Jan Hailey, MHL, CMC, CMCO, CMIS, CMOM, CMCA E/M. Jan teaches with a great deal of experience, know-how, and passion, and her uplifting and engaging presentation style makes for a great session each and every time.

New CPT® code and regulatory changes for 2024 will go into effect on January 1st. Numerous proposals include conversion factor payment increases for primary care / direct patient care, caregiver training services, and services involving community health workers, care navigators, and peer support specialists. The implementation of a separate add-on payment for HCPCS code G2211 is also proposed, which is expected to improve the accuracy of payment for primary and longitudinal care.

In the morning session, Jan will help prepare attendees for the impact of coding and regulatory changes. This annual update program will help students forecast the impact on billing for their particular specialty in 2024. The training will help participants reduce denials and stay in compliance in the New Year. All proposed key changes to the procedural code set, guidelines and issues that may impact provider reimbursement are being addressed.

In the afternoon’s Successful Insurance Claims Processing session, Jan will teach participants how to expedite claims and appeals to get paid. She’ll help students gain confidence in securing correct payments from commercial carriers and give tips to avoid common claims processing errors.

We’d like to thank PMI host partner Barbara Gipson, Manager of Provider Relations with Regional HealthPlus, for once again playing host, she really cares about the success of her providers and staff and it shows!#PMIPARTNERSHIPS

Are you struggling with employee turnover? Do you need help finding qualified applicants? Could your interview process use some refinement? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you'll be thrilled to learn that we just released a new ebook on Best Practices for Recruiting and Hiring a Great Medical Office Team, and it is sure to provide you with the information you need to advance your practice's hiring process and build your own office dream team. 

"Patient engagement," also known as "person and family engagement" is not just another healthcare buzzword. It is a highly-productive partnership that fosters a collaborative relationship built on trust, effective communication, and shared decision-making. This extension of care beyond the patient encounter has gained significant importance in recent years. 

When a Medicare patient has multiple sources of insurance coverage, Medicare will only pay for services after the primary payer has processed the claim and made their payment.  Medical office staff must always verify the patient's insurance coverage thoroughly - gathering all necessary information from the primary insurance, such as policy numbers, claim submission instructions, and any preauthorization requirements, etc.

There’s a familiar saying: Behind every good leader is a great team. One cannot work without the other. Building team trust and acceptance is a key driver of successful practice managers, says Kem Tolliver, BS, CMPE, CMC, CMOM, a revenue cycle management expert, co-author of, Revenue Cycle Management: Don’t Get Lost in the Financial Maze published by MGMA®, and business owner based in Maryland. She says that great leaders are exceptional influencers.