MEDICAL CODING SERVICES

Medical Coding Services That Start With the Medical Record

SkyLine MB reviews physician documentation and assigns ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS and modifiers supported by the record — with questions sent back to your providers before claims are released.

FREE CONSULTATION

Get your coding reviewed

Tell us about your specialty, providers and coding volume. A coding specialist will contact you to discuss scope and turnaround — no obligation.

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Code sets

ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS

E/M review

MDM or time-based

Monthly

Accuracy & query report

No lock-in

Flexible agreement

Every code supported by the documentation

OVERVIEW

What Are Medical Coding Services?

Medical coding services review healthcare documentation and assign the standardized diagnosis, procedure and supply codes used to bill insurers and report care.

For physician practices that means ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes, CPT procedure codes, HCPCS Level II codes and modifiers — each supported by the clinical note. SkyLine MB codes from your documentation; providers keep responsibility for what they document.

Who it's for

Physician practices, specialty groups and outpatient clinics

What's included

ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS, modifiers and E/M review

How it's priced

Per encounter, hourly, or bundled with billing

Turnaround

Agreed per practice, usually within 24–48 hours of complete notes

THE CHALLENGE

Why Accurate Medical Coding Has Become Harder

Code sets change every year, payer edits keep tightening, and providers have less time for documentation.

Oct 1

ICD-10-CM diagnosis code updates take effect each year on October 1. — CDC/CMS

Jan 1

Annual CPT code changes from the AMA take effect on January 1. — AMA

Annual code changes

New, deleted and revised codes each year mean old habits create errors.

E/M level selection

Levels must reflect medical decision-making or total time, as documented.

Modifier misuse

Modifiers 25, 59 and X{EPSU} need documentation support and correct use.

Incomplete documentation

A diagnosis or procedure that isn’t documented can’t be coded.

Specialty complexity

Cardiology, orthopedics and GI each have their own coding rules and bundling edits.

Coder availability

Backlogs grow when an in-house coder is out or leaves.

Coding accuracy starts with documentation. Our coders ask providers before guessing — and track the questions so documentation improves over time.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Medical Coding Services We Provide

Choose the coding support your practice needs, from full coding to second-level review. We agree specialties, code sets and turnaround before work starts.

ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding

Diagnoses coded to the highest specificity the record supports.

CPT Procedure Coding

Procedures and services coded from the operative or clinical note.

HCPCS Level II Coding

Drugs, supplies, equipment and other HCPCS services coded with units.

E/M Level Review

Office and hospital E/M levels checked against MDM or total time.

Modifier & NCCI Review

Modifiers and code pairs reviewed against NCCI and payer edits.

Provider Queries

Clear questions sent to providers when documentation is unclear.

Coding Audits

Sample reviews of coding accuracy with education for providers.

Learn more →

Billing Handoff

Coded charges passed to billing with notes on edits and modifiers.

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Also available:

HOW IT WORKS

Our Medical Coding Process, Step by Step

Six stages from the clinical note to a coded, billable charge. During onboarding we agree EHR access, specialties, turnaround and how provider queries are handled.

STEP 01

Documentation received

Signed notes, operative reports and orders pulled from your EHR.

STEP 02

Diagnosis coding

ICD-10-CM codes assigned to the specificity the record supports.

STEP 03

Procedure & E/M coding

CPT, HCPCS and E/M levels selected from the documentation.

STEP 04

Modifier & edit check

Modifiers, NCCI pairs and payer edits reviewed before release.

STEP 05

Provider queries

Unclear notes returned to the provider with a specific question.

STEP 06

Release & feedback

Charges released to billing; trends shared in a monthly coding report.

IN-HOUSE VS. OUTSOURCED

Outsourced Medical Coding vs. In-House Coders

What it takes to keep coding accurate and current.

Compare staffing, scope and oversight before choosing a model
What matters	In-house	SkyLine MB (outsourced)
Staff & cost	Salaries, benefits, credentials and training	Agreed fee for the contracted coding scope
Coverage	Backlogs when a coder is out	Coverage agreed with your coding contact
Specialty knowledge	Depends on who you hire	Coders matched to your specialties
Code updates	Training each year for new codes	Annual updates built into the workflow
Second review	Often no one checks the coder	Quality review on a sample of charts
Provider queries	Handled informally	Documented queries and responses
Reporting	Limited visibility on accuracy	Monthly accuracy and query report
Security responsibilities	Practice safeguards and access	Shared responsibilities, a BAA and agreed access

Many practices keep their billing team and outsource coding only. Coded charges can flow straight into our medical billing services or back to your own billers.

CODING & CLAIM ACCURACY

Medical Billing Code Sets We Review

Diagnosis codes, service codes and modifiers each have a different role in a claim. Our coding review checks the documented encounter against the relevant code set and payer requirements.

Code systems, illustrative examples and the checks that matter
Code set	Example	What we check
ICD-10-CM	E11.9 Type 2 diabetes without documented complications	Diagnosis specificity and support in the clinical record.
CPT / HCPCS Level I	99213 An established-patient office or outpatient E/M service	Service level, documentation and the applicable selection criteria.
HCPCS Level II	E0601 A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device	Equipment or supply coding, units and payer coverage requirements.
Modifiers	25 A separately identifiable E/M service in appropriate same-day circumstances	Whether the record supports the modifier and relevant payer rules.

These independent examples are educational, not a recommended claim combination. Final code selection depends on the clinical record, date of service and current payer rules. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.

References: CMS code sets · CDC diagnosis example · CMS E/M example · CMS equipment example · CMS modifier guidance

PRICING

How Much Do Medical Coding Services Cost?

Coding is priced by volume, by time or as part of a billing engagement. The right model depends on specialty, encounter mix and turnaround.

Per encounter or chart

A fee for each coded encounter. Rates differ for office visits, procedures and operative reports.

Rate depends on chart complexity

Best for steady encounter volume

Hourly or dedicated coder

Coding hours or a dedicated coder for your specialty, billed monthly.

Varies by hours and specialty

Best for large or complex volume

Bundled with billing

Coding included in a full billing engagement under one agreement.

Quoted with your billing scope

Best for practices outsourcing billing

HOW SKYLINE MB PRICES

One clear rate, quoted after a coding review

Your quote reflects specialty, encounter mix, turnaround and review requirements. We confirm the code sets, query process and any audit work in writing before you start.

TRANSPARENT REPORTING

The Medical Coding KPIs We Report Every Month

Coding reports show accuracy, speed and documentation trends. We agree definitions and sample sizes during onboarding.

Coding accuracy

Quality review

Codes confirmed correct on review ÷ codes reviewed in the sample.

Coding turnaround

Days to code

Average days from signed note to coded charge.

Provider query rate

Documentation

Encounters sent to providers with a question ÷ encounters coded.

Coding-related denials

Payer edits

Claims denied for coding or modifier reasons ÷ claims adjudicated.

E/M distribution

Level mix

Share of E/M visits at each level, compared over time.

Coding backlog

Open charts

Encounters waiting to be coded at month end.

Accuracy is measured on agreed samples. Code selection always follows the documentation; we do not target a particular E/M level or payment outcome.

SPECIALTIES

Medical Coding for 20+ Specialties

Every specialty has its own codes, modifiers and payer rules. Pick yours to see how we support it.

EHR & PM SYSTEMS

Works Inside Your Current EHR

We assess your current EHR and practice-management workflow first, then agree access and handoffs with your team.

Using another system? Tell us which platform you use so we can confirm compatibility and access requirements.

TECHNOLOGY

Coding Tools With Certified-Coder Review

Encoders and edit checks catch bundling issues and invalid code pairs fast. But code selection still needs a coder reading the note — so every suggestion is confirmed against the documentation.

COMPLIANCE & SECURITY

HIPAA-Compliant Medical Coding

Coding means reading full clinical records. We sign a Business Associate Agreement, use role-based access to your EHR and follow the minimum-necessary standard.

FREE CODING REVIEW

Not sure your coding matches your documentation?

We review a sample of recent encounters for code selection, E/M levels and modifiers, then share the findings and priority fixes with your team.

What happens next: send your practice details, speak with a specialist, then agree a secure way to share anything needed for the review. Do not send patient records through this enquiry form.

CLIENT STORIES

What Practices Say About SkyLine MB

Independent practices, specialty groups and clinics trust us with the work that keeps revenue moving.

Our denials used to sit for weeks. Now every denial has an owner, a reason code and a next step — and we see it all in one monthly review. It's the first time billing hasn't felt like a black box.

Therapy billing has so many visit limits and modifier rules. The team caught authorization gaps before they turned into denials, and our front desk finally stopped chasing payers.

Switching billing partners scared us, but onboarding was organized from day one. They worked inside our existing EHR, so my staff didn't have to learn anything new.

Telehealth codes, payer-specific policies, credentialing — they handled all of it. Having one billing manager who actually knows our practice makes a real difference.

We get clear answers on why a claim was underpaid and what's being done about it. The monthly KPI call is something our physicians now look forward to.

High visit volume means small errors add up fast. Clean claims go out quickly and the A/R follow-up is consistent — no more old balances quietly aging out.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions About Medical Coding Services

Straight answers to what practices ask before choosing a billing partner.

Still have a question?

Talk to a billing specialist — no sales pressure.

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