CombineHealth Blogs

Caral Edelberg

Caral Edelberg is the Founder and Chairman of Edelberg & Associates. With over 40 years of experience in medical coding, auditing, and compliance, she has helped shape national standards in emergency medicine. She has served on advisory boards for the AAPC and ACEP, which honored her with an Honorary Membership for her contributions to the specialty.

Latest news & articles by Author

Top 10 Emergency Medical Billing Services in the USA (2026 Guide)

Compare the top 10 emergency medical billing services helping hospitals improve ED coding accuracy, reduce claim denials, streamline revenue cycle management, and maximize reimbursement in 2026.

Top 10 AI Solutions for Improving Healthcare Revenue Integrity in 2026

Discover the top healthcare revenue integrity tools helping hospitals reduce denials, improve claim accuracy, recover underpayments, and strengthen revenue cycle performance in 2026.

Robotic Process Automation in Healthcare: What RCM Leaders Need to Know in 2026

Explore how robotic process automation in healthcare improves coding, billing, claims, denials, prior authorization, and AR follow-up for stronger RCM performance in 2026.

Top 10 Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Analytics Tools for Medical Practices in 2026

Compare the top 10 healthcare RCM analytics tools for 2026. See features, KPIs, integrations, and why analytics integration drives better RCM outcomes.

5 Best Orthopedic Medical Billing and Coding Companies (2026 Guide)

A detailed comparison of the 5 best orthopedic medical billing and coding companies in 2026 for hospitals and health systems in the US.

5 Best Dermatology Billing and RCM Companies in the US (2026)

A detailed comparison of the 5 best dermatology billing and RCM companies in 2026 that can help with denial prevention and faster collections.

ProFee Coding in 2026: The Complete Guide for Maximum Reimbursement

Learn what profee coding is, how it differs from facility coding, 2026 PFS guideline changes, specialty examples, and common mistakes to avoid

Top 10 AI Healthcare Billing Software for Hospitals to Cut Denials and Accelerate Cash Flow (2026 Guide)

Explore our compilation of the top 10 AI medical billing solutions that can help you process claims faster and reduce denials.

Cost To Collect Revenue Cycle Benchmarks: How To Maintain A Healthy Revenue in Healthcare

Learn what cost-to-collect benchmarks mean for your RCM, how to calculate and track it, and how AI can help you hit the 2% industry standard.

Denial Management in Healthcare: How to Reduce Denials and Get Reimbursed Faster

A complete guide to denial management in healthcare. Learn how to reduce denials, improve RCM workflows, and accelerate reimbursements.

What Is a Superbill in Medical Billing and How Does It Work? (A Complete Guide for Billing Teams)

Learn what a superbill is, how it works, and where errors happen. A complete guide for billing teams on generation, payer submission, and AI automation in 2026.

Revenue Integrity in Healthcare: Best Practices for RCM Teams

Learn what revenue integrity in healthcare means, why revenue leakage happens, and how RCM teams can reduce denials with AI-driven best practices.

Revenue Cycle Analytics: Why It’s Crucial for Reducing Revenue Leakage in Healthcare

Learn how revenue cycle analytics helps healthcare teams reduce denials, track KPIs, identify revenue leakage, and improve financial performance.

How to Interpret an Electronic Remittance Advice (ERA) in Medical Billing

Understand the step-by-step process of interpreting an ERA. Explore how to use this information to guide your next steps in the denial management process.

Automated Insurance Verification: Why Hospitals Should Move On From Manual Methods

Manual insurance verification leads to errors, denials, and delays. Learn how automated insurance verification improves accuracy, efficiency, and patient trust.

Top 10 Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management Tools in the USA (2026 Guide)

Discover the best AI tools for revenue cycle management in 2026. Compare leading AI solutions for healthcare revenue cycle management, key features, benefits, and how to choose the right platform.

Clinical Documentation Improvement: Building a Successful CDI Program in Healthcare

Learn what clinical documentation improvement is, why it matters, and how to build a successful CDI program to boost RCM, coding accuracy, and revenue.

Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management: Your Blueprint for Fixing Denials and Increasing Collections

A comprehensive healthcare revenue cycle management guide to reduce denials, increase collections, and optimize every stage of the revenue cycle.

Modifiers in Medical Billing: How AI Simplifies Their Use in Revenue Cycle Management

Learn what modifiers in medical billing are (including modifier 25, 59, 26, 76), why they matter for reimbursement, and how AI can simplify modifier management in RCM.

Healthcare Underpayments: What Providers Need To Know About Getting Fair Reimbursements

Learn how healthcare underpayments occur, what causes underpaid insurance claims, and how AI-driven automation can detect and recover revenue in medical billing.

Upcoding And Downcoding: Key Differences, Risks & Prevention

Learn the differences between upcoding and downcoding in medical billing. Understand financial impacts, legal risks, and how AI ensures coding accuracy.

MIPS Healthcare: What It Is, Why It Costs You Money, and How to Implement It Effectively

Discover what MIPS Healthcare is, why it impacts your Medicare reimbursements, and how to implement it effectively to avoid penalties and maximize performance.

Orthopedic Medical Billing Guide: Challenges and Strategies for RCM Teams

Discover how medical billing for orthopedic practices works, the key challenges involved, and strategies RCM teams can use to reduce denials and boost revenue.

Value-Based Care in Healthcare: A Comprehensive Guide

Discover what value-based care in healthcare means, how it compares to fee-for-service, and what it takes to make the transition.

AI Governance in Healthcare: How To Ensure a Safe, Ethical, and Effective AI Implementation for Your Organization

Discover how AI governance helps healthcare organizations reduce risks like bias, errors, and data breaches while improving trust and compliance

How To Appeal an Insurance Claim Denial: A Provider’s Guide

Discover the step-by-step process for appealing denied insurance claims and understand when a corrected claim is better than an appeal.

8 Tough Questions to Ask While Evaluating an AI RCM Billing and Coding Solution

Wondering which AI RCM billing and coding solution is the right fit for your healthcare organization? Check out this guide to understand the questions you should ask to evaluate a vendor before making the final decision.

Claim Denial 101: Top Reasons You’re Getting Denied and How to Turn It Around

Understand why claim denials happen in healthcare and what to make of the denial codes communicated by payers. Also, explore how AI-powered denial management can help get faster reimbursements and avoid denials altogether.

5 Silent Revenue Killers in Your FQHC Billing Process

FQHCs often lose revenue to hidden gaps in billing and documentation. This post reveals five silent revenue killers in FQHC billing and how AI can help fix them fast.

One Big Beautiful Bill Act: 6 Key Takeaways for FQHCs

Understand the OBBBA’s impact on FQHCs—Medicaid cuts, work requirements, and coverage loss. Adapt by strengthening outreach, improving billing systems, partnering locally, and embracing tech to reduce admin and financial strain.

Medical Billing And Coding Salaries in 2025: What to Expect

Curious about where medical coding and billing salaries are headed in 2025? This post breaks down average pay, top-paying states, growth trends, and what’s impacting compensation.

2026 Buyer’s Guide for CDI Software: Key Features, KPIs, and Selection Tips

Can't make up your mind on which CDI software to invest in? Check out our comprehensive guide to understand the features to look for and the KPIs to track to find the perfect match for your CDI efforts.

What Is Medical Coding, and How AI Medical Coding Can Help Reduce Claim Denials

Understand all about medical coding, its various types, and how it works. Explore how AI medical coding can help reduce denials and increase claim reimbursements.

Independent Interpretation Explained: Why It Matters For Your CDI and How To Get It Right

Independent interpretation is the key to accurate coding and stronger MDM. This blog explains what it is, why it matters, and how getting it right can protect your revenue and clean up your CDI.

A Complete Guide to Clinical Documentation Improvement Software: Workflow, Benefits, and Real-World Use Cases

If you're a revenue cycle leader at a multi-site hospital system or a CFO at a large physician group, you know how a single missing detail can trigger costly claim denials. This blog reveals how AI-powered clinical documentation improvement software helps organizations like yours flag and resolve those gaps—at scale.

Medical Coding Salary Benchmarks: What Medical Coding Professionals Need to Know in 2025

Medical coding salaries in 2025 are driven by demand for skilled professionals and evolving payer regulations. This guide breaks down current benchmarks, factors affecting pay, and how coders can future-proof their careers.

Medical Coding Audits: Benefits for Healthcare Practices

What Is ICD-10-CM? Diagnosis Codes Explained With Examples

Explore ICD-10 in detail with our comprehensive guide to medical coding. Understand its structure, features, and importance in streamlining healthcare diagnosis and billing systems.

‍What is ICD 11? International Classification of Diseases 11th Revision

The Benefits of HCC Coding in Healthcare

Medical Coding for Pediatric Care: Your Practical Guide to Cleaner Claims and Faster Payments

Not sure which medical codes are relevant for pediatric care and how they're different from general coding guidelines? Explore the nuances of pediatric coding in this blog post and get the reference list of codes to be used in different pediatric settings.

CPT Codes For Mental Health Billing

HCPCS Codes: A Complete Guide

Medical Coding for Emergency Rooms: All You Need to Know

Learn how emergency room medical coding works, why accuracy is critical for care and reimbursement, and how AI supports overburdened ER teams.
Medical coding and AI - CombineHealth

Utilizing AI to navigate ever-changing medical coding guidelines | CombineHealth