nurse certified coder

Nurses General Nursing

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I am a LPN and was wondering if anyone knows about coding for nurses? Anybody??? Thanks!!

roser13, ASN, RN

6,504 Posts

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.

All of our coders are non-nurses.

TDCHIM

686 Posts

Specializes in Health Information Management.

What sort of information do you need, exactly? Are you looking for coding information relevant to certain types of nurses, such as the info that a home health nurse might need? Are you asking about opportunities for nurses who become trained in coding and documentation? It would help those looking to respond if you could narrow the scope of your question.

PetiteOpRN

326 Posts

Specializes in PeriOperative.

I used to code and precert when I did clerical support during nursing school. It does not require a nursing degree. It involves translating diagnoses and procedures into IDC-10 and CPT codes, and making sure there is enough documentation to support these so that they can be billed.

You have two big book and for every diagnosis the MD writes you look up the number and record it. For every visit or procedure you look up the number and record it. That's all there is to it.

syckRN

65 Posts

Specializes in Emergency Department, House Supervisor.

I started doing some coding in my last job. More and more hospitals (and even the government) are looking for RNs to do this. There are training programs. I hear also that it is something that can be done from home for a "per chart" fee. I was going to go for this certification, but decided to go to grad school instead.

Good luck

SyckRN

TDCHIM

686 Posts

Specializes in Health Information Management.
I used to code and precert when I did clerical support during nursing school. It does not require a nursing degree. It involves translating diagnoses and procedures into IDC-10 and CPT codes, and making sure there is enough documentation to support these so that they can be billed.

You have two big book and for every diagnosis the MD writes you look up the number and record it. For every visit or procedure you look up the number and record it. That's all there is to it.

There are a lot of potential complicating factors, but that's the basic idea behind coding. However, it isn't really fair to make it sound like something a brain-dead rodent could do. ;) There are different types of coding, of varying levels of complexity (i.e., inpatient coding is much more complex than, say, coding for a physician's office). If the coder is mistaken in the codes s/he selects or doesn't list all applicable codes from a given visit or stay, the errors can hurt the facility's revenues or trigger an outside investigation for upcoding. Therefore, coders (particularly those handling inpatient charts) must be knowledgeable about the clinical data they review and well-versed in the complexities of coding and documentation to be able to code accurately and completely. There's a reason why those of us pursuing bachelor's degrees in health information management have to take many of the same types of prereqs (lots of bio, plenty of chem, A&P I & II, human pathophysiology, etc.) as those going into BSN programs! :)

Also, ICD-10-CM is not yet used in the U.S. It is far more complex (it will have over 69,000 codes versus the current appx. 13,600 for ICD-9-CM) and will require significant retraining for everyone from physicians to coders. The first set of ICD-10-CM codes will be established as of October 1, 2011. Mandated implementation of ICD-10-CM is planned for 2013. Volume 3 of ICD-9 (thre code portion) will be changed into ICD-10-PCS, which will be substantially different from the current procedure codes and will also require major retraining of many clinicians along with coders.

For the OP or anyone else interested in coding or the ICD-10-CM/ICD-10-PCS transition process, check out the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) website, www.ahima.org, or the AHIMA FAQs on ICD-10: http://www.ahima.org/ICD10/faqsall.aspx#37.

GRACERN47

26 Posts

I am an MDS Coordinator and I am responsible for all coding of every admission. I recently got the ICD 9 for 2011 and there are some changes that go along with 3.0. It is not as easy as one thinks as some Docs continually give "symptom diagnosis" which is not accepted for billing and you sometimes have to read the history and/or consults to figure out an acceptable code.

HiHoCherry-O

123 Posts

Specializes in CVICU, ED.

TDCHIM and GRACERN47 have provided some great information. Another website you can check out is http://www.aapc.com/.

Many community colleges also offer coding courses and with your LPN background may be able to opt out of some of the courses i.e. medical terminology etc (I would recommend only if you are relatively comfortable and well versed in medical terminolgy/ A & P). If you ever peruse coding forums, you can see how detailed you have to be and what kind of issues coders run into.

Good luck!

nljac000

8 Posts

Thanks to all for the info!!!! I was just thinking on taking of taking a coding course to eventually work from home. I am in kidney failure and can't continue to work at this pace anymore. Again Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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