08/21/2015    Harry Goldsmith, DPM

Codingline Price Increase (Jeffrey Kass, DPM)

There are several points in Dr. Kass' post that
need clarifying. First, there is no “APMA
Codingline membership.” Codingline is a separate
entity from APMA, and currently offers APMA
membership complimentary subscriptions to
CodinglineSILVER.

Second, the pricing for the APMA Coding Resource
Center (CRC) did not jump from $189 to $329. The
$189 price increased in 2013 to $249. Some early
subscribers to the CRC were able in the past to
renew their subscriptions at $189.

Third, subscriptions to the CRC are benefits to
APMA members in their discount. Non-members of
APMA pay a higher subscription rate – closer to
the actual retail value of the resources
contained in the CRC.

Fourth, APMA has to pay AMA a royalty fee for use
of the CPT. Fifth, there is a cost to develop
and maintain the APMA Coding Resource Center –
each feature whether the 140 ICD-10 code sample
diagnosis section for foot and ankle specialists
(both PDF and interactive versions), crosswalks
to 1400+ ICD-9 to ICD-10 codes; the CCI edits;
CPT to ICD-9 (and soon, ICD-10) sample suggested
‘links’; foot and ankle specific Medicare LCDs
(by state); and others – is not cheap.

We are currently reviewing options for enhanced
mobile options. Sixth, a significant portion of
CRC profits are also given to the APMA
Educational Foundation Student Scholarship Fund.
And seventh, keep in mind that subscriptions to
the CRC are optional for APMA members and non-
members.

Foot and ankle specialists certainly have a
choice in their coding resources. We happen to
believe that the APMA Coding Resource Center not
only is the best one-stop-site for coding
references for foot and ankle specialists, but it
is a bargain. If you to opt to buy just the CPT,
HCPCS, ICD-9, and ICD-10 “manual” equivalents in
the APMA Coding Resource Center, the one year
cost would be more than the online CRC
(accessible to subscribers anywhere there is
Internet and a computer).

If you decided to purchase, for example, AMA’s
online CodeManager (which doesn’t focus on foot
and ankle specialist coding needs), the regular 1
year subscription is $500 and the “Elite” is
$800. Finally, you received an email from APMA,
so that you could take advantage before the
September 1 increase to renew your subscription
not at the $329 rate, but the lower rate.

Harry Goldsmith, DPM, Consultant, APMA Health
Policy & Practice Department, Cerritos, CA

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