Ask the AOPA Expert
Common CodingPro Questions
By Joe McTernan
The 2006 AOPA CodingPro software from AOPA is a reference program that provides information to help you accurately code and build claims to Medicare and other insurers.
CodingPro enables you to import your own fee schedules, create supporting documents for your claims submissions, print them for your records and even save them in Microsoft Word™.
Other features include:
Following are some common questions about using CodingPro.
Q: I have Windows XP and am having difficulty installing CodingPro. What’s going on?
A: Check to see if you have the Home version of Windows XP rather than the Professional version. To do this, go to My Computer, Program Files and then Windows. Right click on the Windows folder and select Properties. This will tell you which version you have.
If you have the Home version, you need to download the updates to Windows, since the Home version has some security settings that may prevent programs from being installed successfully.
These updates can be downloaded free from the Internet. Go to the Start button located at the bottom left-hand corner of your computer. Click on Start and you will see an icon for Windows Update. This will take you directly to the Windows Web site, where you can follow the instructions to update your version of Windows. After updating Windows, you should be able to install CodingPro without any difficulty.
Q: When I installed CodingPro, I chose to load the graphics onto my computer’s hard drive but when I run the program the graphics are not there. How do I fix this?
A: During installation of CodingPro, you are given the option of loading the graphics onto your computer or leaving them on the CD in order to save space. If you choose to load them onto your computer, you must be sure to indicate the drive where the CD is housed (the source drive).
Many users mistakenly believe the program is asking you where you want to load them, rather than where they can be found. If you make this error, you can fix it relatively easily by performing these steps:
A: This requires two steps.
First load the Medicare fee schedule for the state that will serve as the base for the discounted fee schedule. To do this, click on the Update button at the top of the main program screen. Then choose Set Up Fee Options. This will open a new window where you will complete fields A, B, C, and D.
Then click on the Load Medicare button at the bottom of the window. Once this is complete, click on the Update and Set Up Fee Options buttons again. When the new window appears, complete fields A, B, E, and F .
Q: I am trying to find a code in CodingPro, but the program cannot locate it. I know the code is valid. Did AOPA forget to include it in the program?
A: The most likely cause of this problem is that you have previously instructed the program to only look at a subset of the O&P HCPCS codes. You can do this using the search function of the program.
When you ask the program to search a certain category of codes (e.g., lower-limb prosthetics), it isolates only those codes that apply to your search parameters. In order to return to the full list of codes contained in the program, you must return to the search option and choose All. This will reset the database to its full list of codes. This resetting of the list also occurs when the program is closed and reopened.
Q: One of the advertised features of the CodingPro is that it includes medical necessity information for the 20 most utilized codes. What about the other several hundred L codes?
A: AOPA has pre-loaded the medical necessity criteria most often used to justify the top twenty codes. The medical necessity feature is by no means restricted to these codes. You can add medical necessity criteria to CodingPro for use with any code. Once you type this information into the program, it is saved to be checked off in the future for any code. You can also generate a report that indicates the code and the medical necessity criteria selected for the specific individual’s case.
Joe McTernan, assistant director of reimbursement services at AOPA, serves as the technical support contact for CodingPro users. Call him at (571) 431-0811 or e-mail him at jmcternan@AOPAnet.org. Through reimbursement, coding and compliance education, AOPA works to inform and support the practice of O&P for the entire profession.
By Joe McTernan
The 2006 AOPA CodingPro software from AOPA is a reference program that provides information to help you accurately code and build claims to Medicare and other insurers.
CodingPro enables you to import your own fee schedules, create supporting documents for your claims submissions, print them for your records and even save them in Microsoft Word™.
Other features include:
- A new visual aid to help identify certain types of codes quickly;
- Medical necessity details for the top 20 O&P codes;
- Updated Medicare fee schedules for all 50 states;
- A database of L codes searchable by code and term, and
- The ability to import fee schedules used by your office.
Following are some common questions about using CodingPro.
Q: I have Windows XP and am having difficulty installing CodingPro. What’s going on?
A: Check to see if you have the Home version of Windows XP rather than the Professional version. To do this, go to My Computer, Program Files and then Windows. Right click on the Windows folder and select Properties. This will tell you which version you have.
If you have the Home version, you need to download the updates to Windows, since the Home version has some security settings that may prevent programs from being installed successfully.
These updates can be downloaded free from the Internet. Go to the Start button located at the bottom left-hand corner of your computer. Click on Start and you will see an icon for Windows Update. This will take you directly to the Windows Web site, where you can follow the instructions to update your version of Windows. After updating Windows, you should be able to install CodingPro without any difficulty.
Q: When I installed CodingPro, I chose to load the graphics onto my computer’s hard drive but when I run the program the graphics are not there. How do I fix this?
A: During installation of CodingPro, you are given the option of loading the graphics onto your computer or leaving them on the CD in order to save space. If you choose to load them onto your computer, you must be sure to indicate the drive where the CD is housed (the source drive).
Many users mistakenly believe the program is asking you where you want to load them, rather than where they can be found. If you make this error, you can fix it relatively easily by performing these steps:
- Place the CD in the CD drive.
- Using My Computer or Windows Explorer, locate the Graphics directory on the CD.
- From the menu bar at the top of the screen, choose Edit/Select All, then Copy.
- Locate the L code/graphics directory on your hard drive and open it.
- From the menu bar at the top of the screen, choose Edit and then Paste.
A: This requires two steps.
First load the Medicare fee schedule for the state that will serve as the base for the discounted fee schedule. To do this, click on the Update button at the top of the main program screen. Then choose Set Up Fee Options. This will open a new window where you will complete fields A, B, C, and D.
Then click on the Load Medicare button at the bottom of the window. Once this is complete, click on the Update and Set Up Fee Options buttons again. When the new window appears, complete fields A, B, E, and F .
Q: I am trying to find a code in CodingPro, but the program cannot locate it. I know the code is valid. Did AOPA forget to include it in the program?
A: The most likely cause of this problem is that you have previously instructed the program to only look at a subset of the O&P HCPCS codes. You can do this using the search function of the program.
When you ask the program to search a certain category of codes (e.g., lower-limb prosthetics), it isolates only those codes that apply to your search parameters. In order to return to the full list of codes contained in the program, you must return to the search option and choose All. This will reset the database to its full list of codes. This resetting of the list also occurs when the program is closed and reopened.
Q: One of the advertised features of the CodingPro is that it includes medical necessity information for the 20 most utilized codes. What about the other several hundred L codes?
A: AOPA has pre-loaded the medical necessity criteria most often used to justify the top twenty codes. The medical necessity feature is by no means restricted to these codes. You can add medical necessity criteria to CodingPro for use with any code. Once you type this information into the program, it is saved to be checked off in the future for any code. You can also generate a report that indicates the code and the medical necessity criteria selected for the specific individual’s case.
Joe McTernan, assistant director of reimbursement services at AOPA, serves as the technical support contact for CodingPro users. Call him at (571) 431-0811 or e-mail him at jmcternan@AOPAnet.org. Through reimbursement, coding and compliance education, AOPA works to inform and support the practice of O&P for the entire profession.
