Computer-Assisted Coding Overview

Optum™ Computer-Assisted Coding (CAC) is sophisticated technology that can help your hospital realize revenue gains by completing coding processes faster and more accurately, and accelerating reimbursement payments while reducing administrative costs. When combined with Optum Web.Strat, a powerful, web-based encoder, these tools provide a comprehensive CAC solution.

Optum CAC can help hospitals:

• Decrease coding time, resulting in fewer A/R days and a faster revenue cycle
• Improve accuracy to reduce denials and increase case mix index (CMI)
• Address issues of regulatory compliance and appropriate reimbursement

Maximize coder efficiency
Reduce the time it takes to complete a case and submit bills faster. Optum CAC streamlines coder workflow to ease coding backlog, reducing or eliminating coder overtime or the need to contract additional coders. Optum CAC features Optum LifeCode®, a patented natural language processing (NLP) engine that identifies and generates the codes for the coders to review and approve, freeing coders to focus on the more complex aspects of coding. This can help increase coder productivity by more than 20 percent, which translates into significant cost savings, improvements in the revenue cycle, and timely reimbursements. In addition, Web.Strat’s clinical resources, editing, and grouping/pricing tools are easily accessible in the workflow to help coders work more effectively.

Improve coding quality
Automatically generated ICD-9 and CPT® codes result in increased consistency among coders which improves accuracy and quality. The LifeCode engine reads electronic documents and highlights all pertinent medical terminology to capture diagnosis and procedures that may have been overlooked in the traditional coding process—a focus that is particularly beneficial within complicated inpatient cases that have extensive records. And, because it correctly captures CCs and MCCs, it can help you improve your CMI. Coders use the Web.Strat to easily assign codes for scanned or handwritten documentation which can then be linked to the code assigned and saved as an electronic audit trail.

CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.