Q.What is your strategy for dealing with vacations, backlog and staffing shortages?

A.PTCS always has on-call inpatient and outpatient Certified Coders available in addition to our current regular staffed coders. They can be called on when unexpected issues affect your coding workflow. Scheduling for vacations and planned events, such as coder education, can be secured months in advance to assure coverage in times of need.

Q.What is your strategy for dealing with RAC appeals?

A.PTCS’s Quality Control Consultants will review the patient medical record and submit an appeal to the appropriate RAC when applicable. Appeals shall be submitted in a timely manner according to the RAC timeframe requirements. We can also provide pre-bill audit reviews on records that may result in a potential RAC audit.

Q.What is your strategy for dealing with quality and compliance reviews?

A.A coder that may be new to your facility will receive a 100% review by our Quality Control Consultant before the charts are dropped for final bill. Thereafter, a small percentage of charts coded per coder is reviewed weekly. Education and feedback is provided to each coder and if needed the charts are updated immediately to be resubmitted.

Q.What is your strategy for dealing with ICD-10 implementation and training?

A.PTCS's has AAPC or AHIMA Certified ICD-10 Trainers and Consultants that will assist with the implementation and training process of the ICD-10-CM for Physicians Practice, Home Health Agency, Long Term Care and ICD-10-CM & ICD-10-PCS for Acute Care facilities.

We provide a 1-2 year start for implementation of ICD-10 to alleviate the learning curve for staff just before the mandated implementation date of October 1, 2013. Our process includes Physician education on the detail documentation required to assign a code using ICD-10-CM/PCS and coding staff training on the format, terminology and official guidelines for assigning an ICD-10 code.