¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï members may submit coding inquiries electronically to codingquestions@asge.org. When submitting a question, please allow at least three business days for a response. When submitting inquiries, please include the ¶¶Òô´ó¹Ï member’s name and ID number. Only questions will be accepted and no reports. Below is our featured Coding Question of the Month that could be beneficial to your practice.
Question: Are there guidelines for keeping hard copies of coding books in each practice location? All our coding staff work from home and have current coding materials. I know that you have stated that it is good practice to have them on file at each practice, but I cannot find any federal or payer guidelines to state it is required.
Answer: I'm not sure there is anything published that mandates practices keep copies of current coding books, however, this is definitely a best practice recommendation. I would be sure and add to your compliance plan that because all coders are remote, up-to-date coding books are available in their remote locations. ​
If the coders don't look at 100% of everything that goes out the door, it still can be considered a compliance risk. If the practice refers to old coding resources, they could be at risk for improper claim submissions.