AI-assisted coding in medical practices: 5 reasons to use it and 3 reasons to think twice

Automated coding tools, often called computer-assisted coding (CAC) or AI-assisted coding, are showing up on more practice “wish lists” as administrators juggle staffing gaps, payer edits and documentation burden. In most settings, the software scans clinical documentation and structured EHR data and then suggests ICD-10-CM and CPT/HCPCS codes for a human to validate, a workflow outlined in AHIMA’s Computer-Assisted Coding Toolkit.

Used well, CAC can help practices submit cleaner claims and focus human expertise where it matters most. Used poorly, it can scale compliance risk fast, which is why the HHS Office of Inspector General stresses fundamentals like accountability, monitoring and auditing in its General Compliance Program Guidance.