Articles by Betty Johnson

Pressure ulcers (also called pressure sores or bed sores) are areas of skin that break down when you stay in one position for too long without shifting your weight. Depending on how a physician treats the ulcer will depend on how it is coded and billed. This article will address the formation of pressure ulcers, treatment of pressure ulcers, and coding of pressure ulcers.

In today's busy offices, most staff members are performing multiple tasks to keep the office running as smoothly as possible. On top of this there is "The Incredible Shrinking Budget" that most managers are dealing with when it comes to education and training. They have to consider staff turnover, changing regulations, and differing payor guidelines. Managers need to figure out who needs what training and at what level, which is not always an easy task. So, how much coding experience and education does the front office staff need? Do they all need to be certified coders?

Minor skin procedures are performed by all types of physicians everyday in offices all across the country. These include skin biopsies, lesion excisions, skin repairs, and lesion destructions. Performing these procedures allows for valuable reimbursement for a primary care physicians office that otherwise may be billing mostly Evaluation and Management (E/M) codes. This article will discuss documentation of these procedures and the use of templates to facilitate this documentation.

Coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) is a surgical procedure performed in order to go around (bypass) blockages in the coronary arteries to improve blood flow. This article will address why the procedure is performed, how the procedure is performed, and how to code the procedure.