What is a major reason for auditing medical billing records?

Auditing medical billing records primarily serves the purpose of ensuring coding accuracy and compliance. This is crucial because accurate coding is essential for proper reimbursement from insurance companies and for maintaining the integrity of healthcare billing practices. When coding is accurate, it reflects the true nature of the services provided, which helps prevent fraud and abuse in the billing system. Additionally, compliance with regulations such as those set by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is vital to avoid legal issues and penalties.

While determining patient satisfaction rates, enhancing physician-patient relationships, and promoting new medical technologies are all important aspects of healthcare, they do not directly relate to the primary function of auditing medical billing records. Audits specifically target the accuracy of claims and adherence to coding guidelines, which are foundational to the billing process. Ensuring compliance also contributes to better financial outcomes for healthcare practices, which can indirectly support other goals such as patient satisfaction and care quality.