Is Outsourcing Neurosurgery Coding the Right Move?

Neurosurgeons work in fast-paced, stressful environments. Typically their work involves long hours, intense responsibility, complexity and a high degree of risk. They perform complex surgeries and make life-and-death decisions on a regular basis. Amidst dealing with the unique challenges and stresses of working in this field it is difficult for them to be aware of the on-going changes in codes and related modifiers. Neurosurgery coding in itself is quite complicated involving surgical codes, time-based codes, consultation codes, in-patient visit codes and much more. No wonder, it has been said that coding for neurosurgical procedures is more complex than performing surgeries of the spine and brain. That is why it is important to outsource to a coding company that has a team of experienced and certified neurosurgery coding experts who are capable of handling the complexities involved in assigning accurate diagnostic and procedural codes for neurosurgery.

Are neurosurgeons coding experts?

Neurosurgeons usually treat a wide range of conditions – from spinal injuries and brain tumors to strokes and aneurysms. Several neurosurgeons claim that they are the best at coding because they know what they performed in the operating room better than anyone else. Well, coding is dynamic. Just because neurosurgeons are experts in the operating room doesn’t mean they should be aware of the thousands of annual and quarterly changes to the CPT and ICD-10 coding systems. Coding for neurosurgery is not simple as many neurosurgeons think. Hence, it is best to outsource neurosurgery coding requirements to professional billing companies that have a team of certified coders and can provide proper coding and billing of the clinical, surgical and hospital activities of neurosurgeons.

Are professional neurosurgery coders easy to find?

Highly experienced and well trained neurosurgery coders are hard to find and keep. Hiring them and providing ongoing training to stay up-to-date on industry changes could mean a lot of money. Wondering why? Well, coder turnover is high. Neurosurgery coding is something that requires a specialized skillset, certification by nationally recognized credentialing organizations and good experience. With their skills, certifications and experience neurosurgery coders can literally do well anywhere. There is a high demand for neurosurgery coders, but at the same time there is an on-going shortage of qualified ones. This implies that if a better opportunity presents itself the money you spend to hire, train, and retain a certified coder could be lost in a matter of seconds. Most importantly, hiring any coder is not an answer to a shortage. Finding the ‘right neurosurgery coder’ to keep your revenue cycle running smoothly is a challenge.

What are the pitfalls of a neurosurgeon assigning codes?

The nature of the work of a neurosurgeon is such that it involves seeing a good number of elderly patients. There are no ‘practice runs’ when submitting claims. Hence, claims must be accurate the first time. Any overcoding issues are regarded as a costly and a pervasive type of medical fraud. In the past, many neurosurgeons have become victims of OIG and RAC audits. In case of any undercoding issues the neurosurgeon will miss out on significant reimbursements that they may be entitled to receive. Accurate neurosurgical coding requires commitment and adherence to official neurosurgery coding guidelines. And coding for spine surgery is the most difficult task on earth. Many neurosurgeons mistakenly believe that neurosurgery coding is a simple process. But, just like neurosurgery, it’s a career on its own and best done by a person specialized in it – a duly certified and experienced neurosurgery coder.

Why outsource to professionals coding companies?

The following are some of the reasons to outsource your neurosurgery coding requirements to professional coding companies like Scribe4Me.

 1. Our neurosurgery specialty coders have a thorough understanding of the nervous system physiology, related terms, and the numerous procedures that neurosurgeons carry out on a daily basis.

 2. Assigning the right diagnostic and procedural codes for neurosurgery can be tricky, but they can handle it with ease. They are skilled at determining which secondary procedures are covered and how to apply the appropriate modifiers for complex surgical procedures.

 3. They possess AAPC certification and are knowledgeable with CPT, ICD-9/ICD-10, and HCPCS codes. Our coders make sure that procedures for the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, spinal, and cranial surgeries are properly reported.

 4. Our coders are familiar with the current reimbursement guidelines for major insurances like Medicare, Medicaid, Workers' Compensation, and Personal Injury.

 5. They are also proficient in using the latest tools and technologies like the EncoderPro, FLashcode and CodeLink for filing accurate claims and getting quick reimbursements.

Are you a neurosurgeon perplexed by the complexities of codes? Don’t worry. Just outsource your neurosurgery coding requirements to Scribe4Me. We have a pool of seasoned and certified neurosurgical coding specialists who are adept at handling the intricacies of coding to ensure that the claims filed for reimbursements are accurate and don't fall short of details. Sounds impressive? Give us a call at (908)736-4180 to learn more about our neurosurgery coding services.