When it comes to coding, information gaps can lead to revenue gaps. Proper coding and documentation are integral to receiving appropriate reimbursement for vascular procedures.
And coding for these procedures can be tricky, with many nuances. The Society for Vascular Surgery’s 2022 Coding and Reimbursement Workshop will help surgeons decode the terminology of global surgical packages, how Medicare values services, surgical modifiers, Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes, documentation, audit risks and more. Learning correct coding can help a surgeon’s bottom line.
The workshop teaches surgeons (and/or their staff ) what they need to know to make certain they receive all the reimbursement to which they are entitled, said course director Sean Roddy, MD.
The workshop and half-day optional workshop for Evaluation and Management (E&M) coding will be Oct. 1–2. The optional half-day workshop will be from 8 a.m.–12 p.m. Oct. 1, with the full-day workshop from 1–5 p.m. Oct. 1 and from 7:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Oct 2. Both will be at the OLC Education and Conference Center in the SVS Headquarters office, 9400 W. Higgins Road in Rosemont, Illinois, just minutes from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
“Coding and reimbursement are two totally different concepts,” said Roddy. “Coding is how you report what you do. Reimbursement is how you get paid.”
The course teaches surgeons and their coding staff how to code and, just as importantly, how to document accurately to maximize their appropriate reimbursement. “I always say we don’t want our members leaving money on the table. The government will be only too happy to keep it,” said Roddy.
He stressed two practicalities of correct coding and documentation: It’s generally accepted that correct coding lessens a surgeon’s audit risk. “We try to teach the proper way for appropriate coding to avoid an audit,” he explained. If a surgeon is denied the first time around, “the chances of a claim getting paid eventually go down precipitously and a surgeon has to pay the staff to re-work it.” It’s just best to do it right the first time around, he said.
Important changes for 2023 include Medicare payment modifications, new guidelines for E&M coding and change in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. The content level is intermediate to advanced and is appropriate for all career levels, from vascular trainees to surgeons.
SVS members receive discounted pricing. Early-bird pricing is available through Sept. 1, and the adjacent Hampton Inn and Suites has discounted room rates when rooms are booked before Sept. 2.
