In the final installment of the Healthcare Econ 101 miniseries, Dr. Christopher Childers and Dr. Nina Clark demystify the "black box" of medical billing and coding. This episode breaks down the two essential components of every medical bill: ICD codes, which identify the patient's diagnosis (the "why"), and CPT codes, which describe the specific services or procedures performed (the "what"). The discussion emphasizes that surgeons are legally and ethically responsible for the accuracy of these codes, regardless of whether a professional coder or an automated system handles the data entry. Listeners will gain insights into the "Global Period," the pitfalls of illegal "unbundling," and how to use modifiers—such as the -22 for increased procedural services—to accurately reflect the complexity of a case.

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