www.cpcmedicalcodingcertificationexamprep.org/cpc-exam-prep Well for the ICD Manual, I’ll start with that. One of the frustrating things for me is I don’t think there’s any version of a manual out there that has the true Table of Contents. And most versions are volumes 1 and 2 and one spiral bound book. And if you’re into Inpatient Hospital Coding, you have 3 volumes in it and it’s very hard when you’re brand new at using it to figure out you know, where to even start. So what I recommend to my students is that at the top of the manual, not on the sides, that they get those hard tabs and put them where all the main sections of their manual are. So obviously, where each volume starts when you have volumes 1 through 3.
Feeling stressed studying for your CPC exam? Maybe overwhelmed by the amount of studying involved?
Maybe you are not sure whether you are well prepared for the CPC exam questions, or maybe you have a hard time planning and managing your study time, maybe you’re worried that you can’t finish the CPC exam paper in the five and a half hours time.
Fear not, I’ve been there too and this was exactly how I felt. I was especially worried about the 5 and a half hours alloted time frame which always seems too short.
Maybe this is your first time studying for the CPC exam. Or maybe you are re-sitting the CPC exam. Either way, as the date draws nearer you might be getting desperate for a method to help you study for and pass the CPC exam.
Good news! Laureen Jandroep (CPC) has put together the highly result driven Medical Coding Certification Review Blitz Videos that you cna watch online from the comfort of your own home. It shows 12 hours of CPC exam review and CPC exam tips that you wouldn’t wanna miss! And as a bonus, a full set of 7 DVD’s of these video course will be delivered to your home or office!
This Medical Coding Review Program prepares you for the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) exam by the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and also the Certified Coding Specialist-Physician Based (CCS-P) exam by the American Health Information Association (AHIMA).
This is a two in one program where the program will guide you in the review of the subject matter, as well as guide you in doing well on the CPC exam. The video course will guide you through an exhaustive review of all the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures covered in the exam, and also teaches you how to make the best use of the time alloted in the CPC exam, which is only five anda half hours! And since the CPC exam is an open-book exam, Laureen Jandroep’s proprietary bubbling and highlighting technique will greatly save time and enable you to locate the important points quickly and efficiently during the CPC exam. This Bubbling and Highlighting Technique actually teaches you how to mark and highlight your coding manual, making it easier to choose the correct answer for any question in the CPC exam. It will also teach you how to manage more difficult questions.
The online video program and the DVD program is identical. This is what they will cover:
01 Introduction to the program
02 Medical Terminology CPC Exam Prep
03 HCPCS CPC Exam Prep
04 Modifiers CPC Exam Prep
05 ICD-9 CPC Exam Prep
06 E&M Section CPC Exam Prep
07 Anesthesia Section CPC Exam Prep
08 Radiology Section CPC Exam Prep
09 Path & Lab Section CPC Exam Prep
10 Medicine Section CPC Exam Prep
11 Integumentary System CPC Exam Prep
12 Musculoskeletal System CPC Exam Prep
13 Respiratory System CPC Exam Prep
14 Cardiovascular System CPC Exam Prep
15 Digestive System CPC Exam Prep
16 Urinary System CPC Exam Prep
17 Genital System CPC Exam Prep
18 Endocrine/Nervous System CPC Exam Prep
19 Eye/Ear System CPC Exam Prep
Laureen Jandroep has been teaching medical coding 12 years ago since 1999. She has personally taken all the certification exams so she could understand the format of the exams and thus prepare her students for what was gonna be covered in the exams. The video course was created when her students begged her to help them prepare for the following weeks exam and therefore she reviewed the whole CPC training program in two days. Since then, Laureen has been teaching this CPC review program and has helped many students successfully pass the CPC exam.
What I like most about this CPC Practice Exam Package is that the full answers and rationales are given for all 150 questions. It also refers you to the relevant part of your textbook. They also provide the answer keys to each CPC exam question, so you can go through each one and see if your rationale is correct when testing yourself. I also found the CPC Exam Study Guide very helpful as it summarizes the whole textbook for you. As the CPC exam is an open book exam, you can actually mark your book or highlight the important texts or codes to help you search for the codes faster during the test. Do practice answering all 150 questions of the practice test within 5 and a half hours, make it to 5 hours if you can so you will have time to go back and check your answers.
The CPC Medical Coding Practice Exam is delivered as an electronic download (in the PDF format), which means it’s instantly accessible after purchase. The good news is that ut’s priced at only $37.
Jim was at a bonfire when he tripped and fell into the flames. Jim sustained multiple burns. He came to the emergency room via an ambulance and was treated for second and third degree burns of his face, second degree burn on his shoulders and forearms, and third degree burns on the fronts of his thighs.
a. 941.20, 841.30, 943.25, 943.21, 945.36, 948.42, E897 b. 941.30, 943.29, 945.36, 948.42, E897 c. 941.09, 943.09, 945.09, 948.64, E897 d. 941.30, 943.29, 945.36, 948.64, E897
Rational
Answer: B
Burn codes always have no less than three codes: A burn code, a total body surface area code (948.XX), and an E code. You can have more than three codes but never less. Burn codes have the following rules (which can be found at the beginning of the ICD-9 book under general guidelines), always code one location to the highest degree (Ex. 1st and 2nd degree burns on the arm, only code 2nd degree). When sequencing burn codes always list the highest degree first (Ex. 1st degree burns to the face and 3rd degree burns to the arm. List the arm burn first and then the face burn). Answer B is the answer because its codes describe the highest degree burn to each anatomical location, it sequences the burn codes in order of highest to lowest degree burns, the 948 (TBSA code) has the correct calculation, and the E code correctly describes the bonfire incident.
Sample CPC Test Questions 4: Anesthesia
When does anesthesia time begin?
a. After the induction of anesthesia is complete b. During the pre-operative exam prior to entering the OR c. When the anesthesiologist begins preparing the patient for the induction of anesthesia d. Once the supervising physician signs over the patient’s care to the anesthesiologist
Rational
Answer: C
The answer to this question can be located in the anesthesia coding guidelines under the title “Time Reporting”
PREOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: myelopathy secondary to very large disc herniations at C4-C5 and C5-C6.
POSTOPERATIVE DIAGNOSIS: myelopathy secondary to very large disc herniations at C4-C5 and C5-C6.
PROCEDURE PERFORMED:
1. Anterior discectomy, C5-C6
2. Arthrodesis, C5-C6
3. Partial corpectomy, C5
4. Machine bone allograft, C5-C6
5. Placement of anterior plate with a Zephyr C6
ANESTHESIA: General ESTIMATED BLOOD LOSS: 60 mL COMPLICATIONS: None
INDICATIONS: This is a patient who presents with progressive weakness in the left upper extremity as well as imbalance. He has a very large disc herniation that came behind the body at C5 as well and as well as a large disc herniation at C5-C6. Risks and benefits of the surgery including bleeding, infection, neurologic deficit, nonunion, progressive spondylosis, and lack of improvement were all discussed. He understood and wished to proceed.
DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE:
The patient was brought to the operating room and placed in the supine position. Preoperative antibiotics were given. The patient was placed in the supine position with all pressure points noted and well padded. The patient was prepped and draped in standard fashion. An incision was made approximately above the level of the cricoid. Blunt dissection was used to expose the anterior portion of the spine with carotid moved laterally and trachea and esophagus moved medially. I then placed needle into the disc spaces and was found to be at C5-C6. Distracting pins were placed in the body of C6. The disc was then completely removed at C5-C6. There was very significant compression of the cord. This was carefully removed to avoid any type of pressure on the cord. This was very severe and multiple free fragments noted. This was taken down to the level of ligamentum. Both foramen were then also opened. Part of the body of C5 was taken down to assure that all fragments were removed and that there was no additional constriction. The nerve root was then widely decompressed. Machine bone allograft was placed into C5-C6 and then a Zephyr plate was placed in the body C6 with a metal pin placed into the body at C5. Excellent purchase was obtained. Fluoroscopy showed good placement and meticulous hemostasis was obtained. Fascia was closed with 3-0 Vicryl, subcuticular 3-0 Dermabond for skin. The patient tolerated the procedure well and went to recovery in good condition.
a. 22554, 63081, 63082, 20931, 22845 b. 22551, 63081, 20931, 22840 c. 22551, 63081, 63082, 20931, 22845 d. 22554, 63081, 20931, 22840
Rational:
Answer: A
Per. Paul Cadorette and the American Medical Association article titles, “Coding Guidance for Anterior Cervical Arthrodesis”, “When a spinal fusion (arthrodesis) is performed, the first thing a coder needs to recognize is the approach or technique that was utilized. With an anterior (front body approach)to cervical fusion the incision will be made in the patient’s neck, so the key terms to look for are platysma, esophagus, carotid, and sternocleidomastoid. These structures will be divided and/or protected during dissection down the vertebral body. After dissection, the procedure can proceed on one of three ways:
1) When the interspace is prepared (minimal discectomy, perforation of endplates) then 22554 would be reported.
2) When a discectomy is performed to decompress the spinal cord and/or nerve root(s) report 22554 for the arthrodesis along with 63075 for the discectomy procedure.
3) When a partial corpectomy (vertebral body resection) is performed at C5 and C6 report CPT code 22554 for the arthrodesis with 63081 and 63082. Two codes are reported because the corpectomy procedure is performed on two vertebral segments (C5 and C6). CPT codes 63081-63091 include a discectomy above and/or below the vertebral segment, so code 63075 (discectomy) would not be reported if performed at the C5-C6 interspace.
Once the decompression procedure has been completed, a PEEK cage can be placed within the interspace or a structural bone graft can be fashioned to fit the vertebral defect created by the previous corpectomy. Insertion of the PEEK cage would be reported with a biomechanical device code 22851. This code is only reported one time per level even if two cages are placed at C5-C6. When a structural bone graft is used, determine whether it is an allograft (20931)) or an autograft (20938). The bone graft codes are only reported one time per procedure and not once for each level. Finally, the physician will place an anterior plate with screws (22845) across the C5-C6 interspace to stabilize the area fusion”.
Some guidance on coding such procedures can also be located in the Spine (vertebral column) coding guidelines (above code 22010).
a. The removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries b. The surgical sampling or removal of a fertilized egg c. Cutting into the fallopian tubes and ovaries for surgical purposes d. Cutting into a fertilized egg for surgical purposes
Rational
Answer: A
The term “salp” means tube, the term “ooph” refers to the ovary, and the suffix “ectomy” means to surgically remove. Some CPT books (like the professional edition put out by the AMA) contains pages with common medical terms like these in the beginning of the book (prior to the coding guidelines)
AAPC’s CPC exam is 150 questions long. Questions range from true and false, to 1-2 sentences, to full page operative notes.
Questions on the CPC exam do not cover just specific medical codes. Questions can be very diverse, testing the examinees knowledge on:
Coding Guidelines
Understanding of Conventions
Correct Modifier Use
Bundling and Global Packages
Medical Terminology and Gross Anatomy
We have taken into account the wide spectrum of diversity the CPC exam offers and have constructed the questions on our CPC Practice Exam to reflect those on the actual exam as closely as possible.
In addition to our well constructed questions we are also providing a full rationale for each question.
These rationales provide the correct answer for each question as well as a full explanation as of why this option is correct, why the other three options are incorrect, and where in the medical coding books the answer can be located.
1. Medical Concepts 2. Surgery and Modifiers 3. Remaining CPT codes
Each of these three sections are then further divided into the following smaller headings.
1. Medical Concepts:
**The following sub-divisions are each assigned 5-10 category specific questions**
Guidelines
Payment management
Medical terminology
Anatomy
ICD-9-CM codes
HCPCS codes
2. Surgery And Modifiers:
**This section is mainly sub-divided to reflect the surgery section of the CPT book and assigns 5-10 category specific questions to each of the following sub-divisions**
Integumentary
Musculoskeletal
Respiratory
Cardiology
Hemic/Lymphatic systems
Mediastinum/Diaphragham
Digestive
Urinary
Male and Female reproductive organs
Maternity/ Endocrine system
Nervous system
Eyes/Ears
3. Remaining CPT Codes:
**This portion of the exam focuses on the remaining CPT codes and assigns 5-10 category specific questions to each of the following sub-division**
Evaluation and Management
Anesthesia
Radiology
Pathology
Medicine
Our 150 question CPC practice exam was created using the structure listed above in order to emulate the actual CPC exam as closely as possible. We felt that by doing this examinees would know exactly what to expect on examination day. By utilizing this structure examinees can better prepare for the exam by focusing on category specific questions and identifying areas of weakness. Knowing what to expect in detail also tend to help calm pre-test anxiety.
A good practice exam should fully prepare its examinee for the real exam. Knowing what to expect and not being surprised on exam day are important.
AAPC’s CPC exam is 150 questions and must be completed in 5 hours and 40 minutes or less.
Contents of the CPC practice exam:
* 150 Question CPC Practice Exam
* Answer Key, With Full Rationale * Scan Tron Bubble Sheets
* The Exam Study Guide, including: Common Anatomy Terminology Handouts Common Medical Terminology Prefix, Root Word, and Suffix Handouts
* The Official AAPC Proctor-to-Examinee Instructions (read out loud on the day of the CPC exam) AAPC’s CPC exam is 150 questions long. Questions range from true and false, to 1-2 sentences, to full page operative notes.
* Coding Guidelines
* Understanding of Conventions
* Correct Modifier Use
* Bundling and Global Packages
* Medical Terminology and Gross Anatom In addition to our well constructed questions we are also providing a full rationale for each question.
These rationales provide the correct answer for each question as well as a full explanation as of why this option is correct, why the other three options are incorrect, and where in the medical coding books the answer can be located.
The National Advisory Board (NAB) has recommended, and the AAPC leadership team has discussed and agreed, that the Certified Professional Coder-Apprentice (CPC-A®) credential has outlived its usefulness. The objective of the apprentice (A) designation was to show others—primarily prospective employers—an individual had passed the CPC® exam, but did not yet have one or two years of on-the-job experience. Instead, it was too often preventing most CPC-As® from getting interviews for potential jobs and hurting their prospects.
We believe the résumé indicating the experience level of an individual should speak for itself. Whether the individual has great aptitude, a terrific work ethic, good people skills, or any other desirable attribute is often never discovered because an interview was unable to be obtained. While we still believe experience is needed to become a good coder, we think it should be the employer’s decision who to hire.
Accordingly, AAPC is accepting comments through Jan. 31, 2012 on the following proposal:
Effective July 1, 2012, the CPC-A® credential will no longer be granted. All current CPC-As® would have their “A” removed by doing one of the following:
Getting at least one year of on-the-job experience no later than Dec. 31, 2013 (helpful to those with a job and currently working towards that end), or
Successfully passing a clinical exam consisting of coding 20 operative/office notes
Thus, no current CPC-A® would be “grandfathered” into the CPC® credential.
Those taking the CPC® exam after July 1, 2012 will have two ways to get their CPC® credential.
They can have one year of coding experience prior to taking the CPC® exam (proof given at time of exam application), and then pass the CPC® exam, or
They can pass both the current CPC® exam and clinical exam by successfully coding 20 operative/office notes. On-the-job experience after taking the CPC® exam will not be required.
It does not matter in which order the two exams are taken; if lacking prior experience, both are required to become a CPC®.
The pass rate for the CPC® exam will stay the same and a 90 percent pass rate on the clinical exam will be required. The 90 percent will be determined by correctly coding 18 of the 20 notes (and most will require multiple codes). The clinical exam will not be multiple choice; it will be free form and hand graded.
The clinical exam will include a sampling of office visits, surgical notes, evaluation and management (E/M) coding, ancillary services, modifier usage, and diagnosis coding.
The clinical exam would be taken at any AAPC proctored exam site. The same five hours and 40 minutes time restriction and code books will be allowed into this exam. If additional resources beyond code books are needed to properly code the notes, that information will be provided as part of the exam.
Both exams will be paid for at the same time and the cost for both exams will increase by $35. Applicants may still take each exam twice to pass it. If the examinee has one year experience, then he or she would pay only the CPC® exam price. If one exam is passed after two attempts, but not the other, then the fee for the exam not passed would be paid to re-take it.
Of course, current CPCs® are not affected by this change. As stated above, we would appreciate comments to this important change to our credentialing program through Jan. 31, 2012. You may go to www.aapc.com/cpc-acomment to submit your comment. From those comments we will either proceed ahead, make modifications that strengthen the change, or slow down the change due to legitimate concerns that AAPC has not properly considered.
A strategy that has been adopted by many, it might work out better for you to start answering the questions from back to front. Start the CPC exam paper from the end to the front may work for you because the questions are generally more advanced at the end, while the front questions are somewhat simpler. Therefore you may not need to spend as much time on the front questions.
Also, do not worry if you’re unsure of the answers to some questions. Just skip those questions and mark them. You can come back to them later. Work on those that you are sure of, as there is a higher chance of you getting more questions correct this way, and you can be sure that you’ve got time to cover every question. After you have gone through the whole paper, return to those marked questions to work on them. If you are really running out of time, just pick an answer randomly, this way you will at least have a chance of choosing the correct answer as opposed to leaving the question blank.
Confirm and check out the CPC examination venue beforehand if possible. This will help you feel prepared and less stressed out on the actual CPC exam date. Confirm the examination venue on the website, and always arrive early just in case. This is very important as you may be forbidden from taking the CPC exam if you are late.
On the day of the CPC exam, take a breakfast rich in protein and low in greasy fat. Take some carbohydrates too. Two half-boiled or poached eggs taken with some toast would be perfect. Taking a glass of milk would be good too as it is full of protein and natural sugars and vitamins that will nourish you, your brain and your body. Refrain from eating fried or oily food for breakfast as you may feel sluggish later. Never ever sit for your CPC exam with an empty stomach. That is the biggest mistake anyone can make as you are not operating with your full potential with low blood sugar and an empty stomach. Remember, this CPC exam is 5 and a half hours long. It’s a long time to fast.
Things to bring along to the CPC exam:
Bring along a bottle of water with you into the CPC exam venue. You will need water for optimal function of your body and brain. Also, bring a watch with you to keep track of the time. Plan your time accordingly. For example, 2 and a half hours into the test, you should be halfway through the questions. Lastly, bring along a jacket or sweater to keep you warm and comfortable if needed during the test.
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CMS proposes to codify three services that aim to remove barriers to quality care. Healthcare practitioners, especially primary care providers, are spending more time and resources addressing economic and social conditions that influence their patients’ health these days. These social determinants of health (SDOH), as they’re called, can undermine a practitioner’s ability to successfully manage […]
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These mistakes prove the devil is in the details. While most of us need to meet productivity standards, we also need to focus on quality and continue to perfect our medical coding skills. In our zest to reach and maintain the ever increasing and challenging productivity requirements, however, our quality and attention to the coding […]
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Two Texas medical practices to pay more than $ 500,000. The attorney for the Western District of Texas has announced separate civil settlements totaling $ 513,168.10 to resolve allegations that two area medical practices violated the False Claims Act (FCA) by improperly billing Medicare for P-Stim devices. Medicare does not pay for acupuncture or acupuncture devices like […]
