NAMAS - National Alliance of Medical Auditing Specialists

09/18/2026

Unspecified ICD-10 codes aren’t always incorrect—but when the documentation supports greater specificity, they can weaken medical necessity, understate the complexity of the encounter, and increase denial risk.

Auditors, don’t stop at the code. Compare it to the documentation and determine whether it accurately reflects the condition’s severity, acuity, stage, laterality, or complications.

Is the diagnosis truly unspecified, or was it simply the easiest code to select?

09/18/2026

Are your CEUs helping you grow or are you simply checking a box?

Continuing education should do more than maintain the letters after your name. The right education can strengthen your skills, close knowledge gaps, keep you informed about industry changes, and help move your career forward.

In our latest article, Victoria Vo explores how professionals can turn required CEUs into meaningful opportunities for career development, and why the easiest credit is not always the most valuable one.

The CEU may be required. Wasting the opportunity isn’t.

Read more: https://f.mtr.cool/pjdpu2fwxl

09/17/2026

Pack your curiosity and prepare to leave with a higher standard.

Join NAMAS in Melbourne, Florida, for two days of insight, connection, and conversations designed to challenge the way you think about auditing, compliance, and healthcare education.

📅 December 7–8, 2026
📍 Melbourne, Florida | The Space Coast

This is more than another conference. It’s an opportunity to ask better questions, explore new perspectives, and connect with professionals who are committed to raising the standard across our industry.

Your mission begins here.

Reserve your seat today: https://f.mtr.cool/posvdzwm54

09/17/2026

Go From Heart to Chart with NAMAS!

Join us on Tuesday, September 22, at 2:00 PM ET for our weekly webinar, “From Heart to Chart: An Auditor’s Guide to Interventional Cardiology Coding and Documentation,” presented by Stacie Buck, RHIA, CCS-P, CPCO, CIRCC, CCC, RCC, RCC-IR, AIP-HC.

Explore the coding and documentation considerations auditors need to know when reviewing interventional cardiology services. Don’t miss this opportunity to strengthen your knowledge and sharpen your auditing skills!

Register today: https://f.mtr.cool/8xkf5462ep

09/16/2026

Your growth has no limits, and your membership shouldn’t either!

A NAMAS membership gives healthcare professionals access to the education, community, resources, and support they need to stay informed, strengthen their expertise, and continue advancing in their careers.

Whether you’re looking to expand your knowledge, connect with like-minded professionals, or find practical tools you can use in your daily work, there’s a NAMAS membership designed to support your journey.

Ready for liftoff? Explore NAMAS memberships today!
https://f.mtr.cool/lqztxx405s

09/16/2026

A huge thank you to Keisha Wilson for presenting “The Diagnosis Is the Denial: ICD-10 Coding Errors That Undermine E/M and Procedural Services” to the NAMAS community!

Keisha shared valuable insights into how diagnosis coding errors can affect medical necessity, weaken documentation support, and ultimately lead to denials for E/M and procedural services.

Thank you, Keisha, for sharing your expertise and helping our community strengthen its auditing and coding knowledge!

09/15/2026

What happens when two experienced auditors review the same medical record—and reach different conclusions?

It happens.

They may use the same coding guidelines, evaluate the same documentation, and understand the same auditing principles. Yet one supports the reported service while the other does not.

Does that mean one of them has to be wrong?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes the disagreement is not about understanding the guidance. It is about how strongly the documentation supports its application—and where published guidance ends and professional judgment begins.

Instead of forcing agreement, ask each auditor to defend the conclusion:

What documentation supports the position?
What published guidance applies?
What assumptions are being made?
What additional documentation would change the conclusion?

The strongest auditors are not those who always agree. They are the ones who can objectively evaluate the record, identify the applicable authority, and clearly explain their reasoning.

Sometimes disagreement is not the problem. It is one of your best auditing education opportunities.

Read More Here: https://f.mtr.cool/73r1ienokk

09/15/2026

What happens when two experienced auditors review the same medical record—and reach different conclusions?

It happens.

They may use the same coding guidelines, evaluate the same documentation, and understand the same auditing principles. Yet one supports the reported service while the other does not.

Does that mean one of them has to be wrong?

Not necessarily.

Sometimes the disagreement is not about understanding the guidance. It is about how strongly the documentation supports its application—and where published guidance ends and professional judgment begins.

Instead of forcing agreement, ask each auditor to defend the conclusion:

What documentation supports the position?
What published guidance applies?
What assumptions are being made?
What additional documentation would change the conclusion?

The strongest auditors are not those who always agree. They are the ones who can objectively evaluate the record, identify the applicable authority, and clearly explain their reasoning.

Sometimes disagreement is not the problem. It is one of your best auditing education opportunities.

Read More Here: https://conta.cc/4hbByZj

Email from NAMAS, a division of DoctorsManagement The strongest audit conclusion isn’t always the unanimous one—it’s the one that can be defended. When Two Good Auditors Disagree Two experienced audit

09/14/2026

When does documentation stop reflecting care and start justifying the claim? 👀

Auditors have to look beyond whether a note simply “supports the code.” The bigger question is whether the documentation accurately reflects what actually happened during the encounter.

When the code starts driving the note instead of the note supporting the code, that’s a red flag worth a closer look. 🚩

Good documentation tells the clinical story, it shouldn’t have to manufacture one.

09/11/2026

“We’ve always done it this way.”

That might be one of the most dangerous phrases in healthcare compliance.

The risks have changed. Payer scrutiny has changed. Technology has changed. So why are we still auditing against yesterday’s priorities?

In our latest article, Stephanie Thebarge breaks down what compliance programs should KEEP, KILL & REWRITE to stay focused on the risks that actually matter today.

From outdated policies and “gotcha” audits to risk-based auditing, meaningful metrics, and better provider education, it may be time to rethink what your compliance program is really accomplishing.

The question isn’t “Have we always had this policy?”

It’s: “Does this still solve a problem?”

Read the full article: https://conta.cc/4xRiUNa

Email from NAMAS, a division of DoctorsManagement It’s time to decide what your compliance program should keep, kill, and rewrite. UPCOMING EVENTS: Webinar: September 15, 2026 @ 2:00 pm EST The Diagno