A simple, but crucial medical billing change has recently occurred. Beginning on October 1, 2005, the Medicare durable medical equipment regional carrier (DMERC) will no longer accept the diagnosis code 585.0. Instead of using ICD-9 585.0, medical billing should be done with the ICD-9 code 585.6 for home dialysis charges.

The code 585.0 means chronic renal failure. This code has now been discontinued and the DMERC will no longer be lenient on the code. The more descriptive code, 585.6 (end stage renal disease) much more accurately describes the diagnosis for home dialysis. It is important that your medical billing staff note this change. Failure to do so will result in unpaid future claims.

Situations like this depict the necessity to hire an outside medical billing firm. Many mistakes can be avoided by hiring one of these companies. Medical billing companies employ highly skilled individuals who are trained, certified, and updated on current medical billing/coding practices. By hiring these companies you are relieving your practice from the responsibility of training and updating your own medical billing personnel on changes.

Another advantage to using a medical billing firm is the time they free up for your personnel to work one-on-one with patients. The less time your staff spends on medical billing, the more time you can focus on customer service. This is an added bonus because the essence of medical care is centered around trust. In order for your patients to trust you, you must build up a rapport.

The change to the home dialysis medical billing code may be simple, however, there are many other medical billing changes that are not so simple. It is very important to keep up with all medical billing changes to ensure proper reimbursement for the future of your practice.

Melissa Clark, CCS-P is President and Director of Medical Billing Services for Outsource Management Group, LLC, a leading national medical billing firm.

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