Mark Kaufmann, MD, is a clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.

Mark D. Kaufmann, MD

Discussing AI Scribes and Improving Billing Practices in Dermatology, With Mark Kaufmann, MD

 meeting by Mark Kaufmann, MD, a clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, featured a session titled ‘How To Maximize Your Billing Effectiveness in the Era of Dwindling Reimbursements and ICD-10.’

Kaufmann spoke in an on-site interview with 

 regarding this session and some of its biggest highlights, going in depth regarding tips for dermatology clinicians improving billing effectiveness and other helpful strategies related to ICD-10 codes.

 In this segment of his interview, Kaufmann spoke about tips for clinicians and about the use of artificial intelligence (AI) scribes.

“ICD-10s now may be getting us into some trouble, because companies are starting to down-code our claims and they're using the ICD-10s,” Kaufmann explained. “So they're basically saying, ‘You may think that that diagnosis deserves a level four code, but we're going to tell you it's only going to be a level three’...It's a very difficult thing to pick up sometimes, because it's easy to tell when someone tells you that they're not paying you for something, you get a zero on your explanation of benefit. But when someone's paying you less than you're billing for, that's more difficult to pick up.”

It is therefore important, Kaufmann put forth, to examine one’s explanation-of-benefits (EOBs). The lack of adequate payment may not be as visible. Later, Kaufmann was asked about the future of dermatology and any important information for clinicians in the coming months and years. Kaufmann advised clinicians to consider alternative revenue streams and also highlighted the value of AI scribes.

“You need to know which types of diagnoses and which types of words will trigger a change,” Kaufmann said. “And that's where the AI scribe comes in, where it actually knows which words change the complexity of the diagnosis.”

The quotes in this interview summary were edited for the purposes of clarity.

Kaufmann previously disclosed serving as a consultant for companies such as Apogee Therapeutics, Avita Medical, and Biofrontera, and he has held a position on the medical advisory board for Modernizing Medicine, Inc.

Kaufmann M, Siegel D. How To Maximize Your Billing Effectiveness in the Era of Dwindling Reimbursements and ICD-10. Presented at the 2026 Maui Derm Hawaii Conference, January 25-29.

Kaufmann M. Strategies on Maximizing Billing Effectiveness for Clinicians, With Mark Kaufmann, MD. HCPLive. February 12, 2026. Accessed February 13, 2026. 

https://www.hcplive.com/view/strategies-maximizing-billing-effectiveness-clinicians-mark-kaufmann-md

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This segment of an interview from Maui Derm Hawaii, featuring Mark Kaufmann, MD, highlights key advice on AI scribe use and billing effectiveness in dermatology practices.

Strategies on Maximizing Billing Effectiveness for Clinicians, With Mark Kaufmann, MD

The world of billing effectiveness among clinicians in 

 can be daunting for some, as healthcare coding, billing, and related impacts on the financial stability of practices are ever-changing in the field of medicine.

A session on this topic was presented at the 

 by Mark Kaufmann, MD, a clinical professor in the Department of Dermatology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Kaufmann spoke on-site at the conference with 

 regarding this talk and its biggest highlights for clinicians in dermatology who want to improve their billing effectiveness.

“I think one of the more important things that I discussed was really where we are and how we got here, and I think it's really important…because we're living in an environment of decreasing reimbursements and increasing costs,” Kaufmann expressed. “In order to keep our doors open, we need to think about efficiencies.”

Kaufmann pointed to the importance of implementing the entire fee schedule, rather than only the 20 or more codes used on a daily basis. He also stressed the value of considering alternative revenue streams for the medical office. Over the previous 25 years, Kaufmann noted, the reimbursement has been effectively decreasing.

“The Congress came out last year and said they were giving us a two-and-a-half percent upwards correction, and that's true, but even when you take that into account, we're still not just lower than we were 25 years ago,” Kaufmann said. “We're lower than we were three years ago, and so effectively, we're being cut every year, even when the buzz is that we're getting increases.”

Later, Kaufmann highlighted efficiencies being improved through artificial intelligence (AI) scribes. Thanks to AI scribes, Kaufmann described notes as improved, along with coding and compliance.

The quotes used in Kaufmann’s interview video were edited for the purposes of clarity.

Kaufmann has previously disclosed serving as a consultant for companies such as Apogee Therapeutics, Avita Medical, and Biofrontera, and he has held a position on the medical advisory board for Modernizing Medicine, Inc.

Burks K, Shields J, Flesher S, et al. A systematic review of outpatient billing practices. SAGE Open Med. 2022 May 23;10:20503121221099021. 

Mark Kaufmann, MD, speaks on maximizing your billing effectiveness in the era of dwindling reimbursements and ICD-10.

Mark D. Kaufmann, MD

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