CO-45 Denial Code: What It Means, Causes & How to Resolve It [2026]
The CO-45 denial code appears on more remittance advices than almost any other adjustment code in medical billing. It’s not a denial in the way most people think. Your claim was processed and paid; CO-45 just documents the gap between what you billed and what your payer contract allows. According to the AMA’s National Health […]
CPT Code 99213: Why Your Practice Keeps Underbilling (And the $39/Visit You’re Losing)
Every time you bill CPT code 99213 when the visit actually supports 99214, you lose $39. Do that three times a day, and you’re leaving over $23,000 on the table every year. Not because of a coding mistake. Because of a coding habit. This isn’t about upcoding. It’s about accurate coding. And if you’re defaulting […]
8-Minute Rule in Therapy Billing: Why Your Practice Keeps Losing Units (And How to Fix It)

Every miscalculated remainder is a billable unit your practice never collects. Uncombined timed services from the same session? That’s revenue you earned but never billed. The 8-minute rule itself isn’t complicated. Applying it correctly across therapists, payers, and session types without letting errors compound is where practices fall apart. If your PT, OT, or SLP […]
Abdominal Pain ICD-10 Codes: Complete Provider Guide to Accurate Coding, Clean Claims & Maximum Reimbursement (FY 2026)

The ICD-10-CM code for unspecified abdominal pain is R10.9, classified under Chapter 18 (Symptoms, signs, and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings) within the R10 category for abdominal and pelvic pain. But here’s what most coding references won’t tell you: R10.9 should be your last resort, not your default. The R10 family contains over 35 billable […]
CO-197 Denial Code: The Complete Guide to Resolution, Prevention & 2026 Updates

What is CO-197 Denial Code? CO-197 denial code means your claim was rejected because prior authorization, precertification, or payer notification wasn’t obtained before the service was performed. When this code appears on a remittance, the payer is telling you they never approved the service. They won’t pay for it. This denial is frustrating because you […]
ICD-10 Code for UTI: N39.0 Coding, Billing & Denial Prevention Guide (2026)

Every UTI claim that goes out coded as N39.0 when the provider’s notes say “acute cystitis” is a denial waiting to happen. And it happens constantly. According to OIG audit data, more than 27% of diagnostic coding errors involve nonspecific codes, including UTI classifications. That’s roughly one in four UTI claims carrying avoidable risk. The […]
CPT Code 97162: Modifiers, Reimbursement & Billing Rules for Physical Therapy [2026]
![CPT Code 97162: Modifiers, Reimbursement & Billing Rules for Physical Therapy [2026]](https://oneosevenrcm.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/cpt-code-97162-billing-guide-2026_11zon-1024x536.webp)
Every denied 97162 claim costs your physical therapy practice more than the $101 reimbursement you lost. Factor in the staff time to investigate, appeal, and resubmit, and a single preventable denial can run $30 to $50 in administrative overhead on top of the lost revenue. Multiply that across a month of evaluation claims, and the […]
CO-97 Denial Code: Why Your Practice Keeps Getting Hit (And How to Make It Stop)

Another CO-97 denial. Another claim sitting in your rejection pile. Another hour your team will spend figuring out what went wrong. If you’re seeing CO-97 show up on your remittance advice more than once a month, this isn’t random bad luck. It’s a pattern. And that pattern points to a workflow gap that’s costing your […]
Alamo, TX Medical Billing Services: Full Revenue Cycle Management at 2.99%

Healthcare providers searching for reliable Alamo TX medical billing services know the struggle: denied claims stack up, payments arrive late, and your staff spends more time fighting insurance companies than caring for patients. Here in the Rio Grande Valley, these challenges hit even harder. You’re dealing with a heavy Medicare and Medicaid mix, complex prior authorizations, and […]
Best Practices for Patient Collections in Healthcare: Fix Your Revenue Leaks in 2026

Self-pay-after-insurance collection rates have dropped from 76% in 2020 to under 55% today. That’s according to the Crowe RCA Benchmarking Analysis, and the trend isn’t slowing down. With patient responsibility now accounting for more than 30% of practice revenue, understanding best practices for patient collections in healthcare isn’t optional anymore. It’s essential for practice survival. Here’s the reality […]