Quote:
Originally Posted by golfing eagles
I realize you must have worked in medical billing/coding at a hospital and therefore tend to blame all coding irregularities on the physicians. However, with a 20% premium on the DRG cohort at stake, if you don't think the word went out to medical staffs at every hospital in the country to add COVID as a diagnosis, even if only suspected, then you are living in Fantasyland.
|
No, not records/coding. Risk & Compliance. We weren't talking about all coding irregularities though, we were discussing specifically a covid dx. Exaggerations only muddy the waters. I'm sure word did go out to the medical staff reminding them to include the dx when supported, 20% x the several hundred covid + patients treated at my little 300 bed hospital is a freaking significant amount of money. But if you're asking me to believe that in general, administrators expected the medical staff to add a covid dx, deserved or not, to realize that 20%, afraid I'll have to pass. But let's just say that did happen, it is entirely up to the physician to "obey". It is entirely up to the physician to enter documentation to support that covid dx. If the dx is undeserved but the support is documented anyhow, that's fraud on behalf of the documenting physician. If the dx is added but not supported by documentation it won't be billed for. And here I thought this was a respectful conversation, I'm sorry you felt the need to attempt to belittle me with your "Fantasyland" comment. Too bad.