What is one reason for establishing the NCCI?

Establishing the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) serves a crucial purpose in the realm of medical coding and billing. One of the primary reasons for implementing NCCI is to reduce improper coding that leads to inappropriate payments. The initiative is designed to promote accurate coding by identifying and preventing unbundling, which occurs when related procedures are billed separately to inflate the payment amount.

The NCCI helps ensure that healthcare providers submit claims that reflect the services rendered accurately. It creates a more systematic approach to coding that can help protect both payers and providers from potential fraud and abuse in the coding process. By reducing coding errors, the NCCI fosters compliance with regulations and enhances the integrity of billing processes within the healthcare system. This focus on correct coding and appropriate payment serves to maintain the sustainability of healthcare resources.

The other options do not align with the core objectives of NCCI, as they focus on aspects like promoting an increase in insurance claims or eliminating claim reviews, which could hinder the necessary oversight and accuracy that NCCI promotes. The initiative is fundamentally about ensuring proper coding practices rather than facilitating unregulated billing practices.