Monday 6 March 2017

Medical Billing Terminology - I & M

I

ICD-9 Codes: ICD-9 codes are an international set of codes that represent diagnoses of patients’ medical conditions as determined by physicians. Medical billing specialists may translate a physician’s diagnoses into ICD-9 codes and then input those codes into a claim for processing.
ICD-10 Codes: ICD-10 codes are the updated international set of codes based on the preceding ICD-9 codes. ICD-10 codes are estimated to be mandatory in the American healthcare system by October 2014.
Incremental Nursing Charge: A fee for nursing services a patient is charged during the course of receiving healthcare.
Indemnity: A type of health insurance plan whereby a patient can receive care with any provider in exchange for higher deductibles and co-pays. Indemnity is also known as fee-for-service insurance.
In-Network: This term refers to a provider’s relationship with a health insurance company. A group of providers may contract with an insurance company to form a network of healthcare professionals that a person can choose from when enrolled in that insurance company’s health plan.
Inpatient: Inpatient care occurs when a person has a stay at a healthcare facility for more than 24 hours.
Independent Practice Association (IPA): The IPA is a professional organization of physicians who have a contract with an HMO.
Intensive Care: Intensive care is the unit of a hospital reserved for patients that need immediate treatment and close monitoring by healthcare professionals for serious illnesses, conditions, and injuries.

M

Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC): MACs are contract with the federal government to process Medicare claims.
Managed Care Plan: A health insurance plan whereby patients can only receive coverage if they see providers who operate in the insurance company’s network.
Maximum Out of Pocket: The amount a patient is required to pay. After a patient reaches their maximum out of pocket, their healthcare costs should be covered by their plan.
Medical Assistant: An employee in the healthcare system such as a physian’s assistant or a nurse practitioner who perform duties in administration, nursing, and other ancillary care.
Medical Coder: A medical coder is responsible for assigning various medical codes to services and healthcare plans described by a physician on a patient’s superbill.
Medical Billing Specialist: A medical billing specialist is responsible for using information regarding services and treatments performed by a healthcare provider to complete a claim for filing with an insurance company so the provider can be paid.
Medical Necessity: This term refers to healthcare services or treatments that a patient requires to treat a serious medical condition or illness. This does not include cosmetic or investigative services.
Medical Record Number: A unique number ascribed to a person’s medical record so it can be differentiated from other medical records.
Medicare Secondary Payer: The insurance company that covers any remaining expenses after Medicare has paid for a patient’s coverage.
Medical Savings Account (MSA): An MSA is an optional health insurance payments plan whereby a person apportions part of their untaxed earnings to an account reserved for healthcare expenses. A person with an MSA can only contribute a certain amount of their earnings per year. Any unused funds in an MSA at the end of the year will roll over to the next.
Medical Transcription: The process of converting dictated or handwritten instructions, observations, and documentation into digital text formats.
Medicare: Medicare is a government insurance program started in 1965 to provide healthcare coverage for persons over 65 and eligible people with disabilities.
Medicare Coinsurance Days: Referring to 61st through 90th days of inpatient treatment, the law requires that patients pay for a portion of their healthcare during Medicare coinsurance days.
Medicare Donut Hole: This term refers to the discrepancy between the limits of healthcare insurance coverage and the Medicare Part D coverage limits for prescription drugs.  
Medicaid: Medicaid is a joint federal and state assistance program started in 1965 to provide health insurance to lower-income persons. Both state and federal governments fund Medicaid programs, but each state is responsible for running its own version of Medicaid within the minimum requirements established by federal law.
Medigap: Medigap is supplemental health insurance under Medicaid for eligible persons who need help covering co-pays, deductibles, and other large fees.
Modifier: Modifiers are additions to CPT codes that explain alterations and modifications to an otherwise routine treatment, exam, or service.

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