Page 14 - College Advantage - A Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology – Spring/Summer 2024

14 CollegeAdvantage
Vinh Nguyen, MD
FELLOW-IN-TRAINING ADVANTAGE
Vinh Nguyen, MD, Senior FIT Rep
Navigating the world of
medical billing and coding
for FITs
As Fellows-in-Training embark on our journey toward becoming fully autonomous health care professionals, we’re encountering various facets of
the health care system, including medical billing and coding. These essential components of health care administration affect countless aspects of patient care and ensure that medical services are accurately documented, coded, and billed for reimbursement.
Understanding the basics of billing and coding is fundamental for providing quality patient care and for accurate reimbursement for the services we provide. Unfortunately, we most likely didn’t get a lot of training in coding and billing in medical school or in our post-graduate training. I recall the apprehension and anxiety of having to code my first clinic visits as a first-year attending. It turns out I was under-billing many of my first visits (oops), but that was quickly corrected after internal auditing.
Mastering medical billing and coding can be daunting, as it requires understanding complex coding systems and staying updated with ever-changing regulations. However, proficiency in this
area can help you provide continuity of care
for your patients
and maximize reimbursements
(while minimizing billing errors) for your practice.
Never fear –
the College has resources available for FITS to help with coding – at no charge.
A great place to start is the Coding Toolkit. Find it at college. acaai/toolkits/coding-toolkit. This comprehensive resource has tips and information to simplify coding. If you have a specific coding question, ask it via email at advocacycouncil@ acaai.org and a member of the College’s knowledgeable Advocacy Council will help you. In addition, significant coding changes and updates are sent to College members whenever they occur.
For a list of the College’s coding resources, read the article on page 10.
Medical billing and coding are important components
of the health care system. As the health care landscape continues to evolve, the importance of billing and coding expertise will only continue to grow, making it a valuable skill for medical trainees to acquire early on and to keep updated in our careers.
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