Pitfalls of HCC Coding Top Risk Areas

Though HCCs were first introduced nearly 20 years ago in 2004 it is only recently that real importance has been placed on HCC Coding. HCC codes are used to establish patient-specific payments for the following year by CMS. It is critical that these codes are captured year-round; if we miss or incorrectly capture these codes, our revenue cycle can be seriously impacted, causing payments to be delayed or even decreased. In the outpatient world specifically, reimbursements have become more and more dependent upon effective capturing of diagnoses codes, and HCC coding has become increasingly important. However there has been a gap in education for many coders when it comes to the ins and outs of coding HCCs. This has lead to some common pitfalls. In this session we will be looking at some of the top areas of risk for coding HCCs to help avoid these common pitfalls and shore up your HCC coding.

Topics include:

• Commonly Missed and Miscoded HCC Diagnosis Codes
• Physician Documentation
• Importance Of CDI and How it can Improve HCC Coding
• How To Optimize Your Coding And Query Process

Attend this session to learn to:

• Identify the most common areas of risk in HCC coding how avoid these pitfalls
• Explain how specificity of diagnosis impacts HCC selection
• Apply learned information to educate others and maintain accurate reporting