Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions with Full Rationale Answers

Practice Exam

Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions and answers with full rationale

Practice Exam

CPC Practice Exam and Study Guide Package

Practice Exam

What makes a good CPC Practice Exam? Questions and Answers with Full Rationale

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Practice Exam

2018 CPC Practice Exam Answer Key 150 Questions With Full Rationale (HCPCS, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, CPT Codes) Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions with Full Rationale Answers

Practice Exam

Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions and answers with full rationale

Is Referential Matching the Answer to Duplicate EMRs?

What is referential matching? Is it: A form of online dating? A way to bring together a reference librarian and a reader? A way to organize partners for a tennis game? A way to bring together all pieces of patient’s medical information, or to connect health data to the correct patient? If you answered d), […]

The post Is Referential Matching the Answer to Duplicate EMRs? appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.

AAPC Knowledge Center

Is Direct Primary Care the Answer?

Direct primary care (DPC) is one of the newer forms of plans offered by primary care providers to their patient populations. Some see DPC as an alternative to traditional third-party payment for care and other more recent models such as concierge medicine. Primary care providers are tired of the consumable resources required to submit claims […]

The post Is Direct Primary Care the Answer? appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.

AAPC Knowledge Center

Wild Oregano Oil – Providing Answer To Every Medical Complexity

A product of Mediterranean region, wild oregano oil is used by people across the world for treating number of diseases in the most herbal and non-expensive way. Known as one of the strongest antibiotics to have ever germinated on the Blue Planet, this oil is fast turning into a potent alternative to commonly used pharmaceutical drugs.

This Mediterranean product possesses various body-friendly chemicals such as carvacrol, flavanoids, esters and terpenes in it that come handy in treating number of infections that can be found in human body.

Thanks to its health benefiting properties, today wild oregano oil is widely being used to treat problems like arthritis, acne, allergies, constipation, menstrual inconsistencies and many others. In addition to it, diseases like ringworm, penumonia, tuberclosis and even urinary tract infections can also be treated via it.

Discovering the score of positive effects it brings on human body even medical experts are encouraging people to use oregano oil. The reason cited behind it, is a theory that might amuse many but is believable to a large extent. Consistent usage of antibiotics helps problematic bugs present in body in developing strong immunity against it. Hence, after a while our body automatically fails to respond to the treatment being administered to it. Thus the condition deteriorates and problem stays far from getting solved. Wild oregano oil acts like morphine thus helping people in recovering from the situation they are in.

Meanwhile for those who don’t know, this oil can also be used as liquid soap. Yes, using this oil on hand kills bacteria and pathogens that are dangerous threat to the body. People complaining of bleeding gums can use the same oil for getting rid of the problem. Thanks to its edible value, wild oregano oil can be consumed along with regular food items.

However extreme caution needs to exercised when the user is a child. Yes, children below 7 years of age are advised to seek advice from a reputed physician or doctor before consuming the same.

Hence it is quite clear that wild oregano oil is need of hour for every health conscious person. Thanks to its health benefiting properties, people can now enjoy a healthy lifestyle.

Robert Henry is connoisseur in the field of medication. He has been writing some amazing articles on Cystitis , symptoms and cures of the bladder infections. His knowledgeable articles have brought amazing changes in the lives of several individuals.

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Q&A: Can non-physicians answer queries after discharge?

Q: We recently had attending physicians send back queries with responses by the physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP) who documented for them. Is it acceptable for a PA or NP to answer queries after the patient is discharged?
 
A: This is a difficult question to answer without knowing the policies within your organization related to discharge summaries, amending summaries, and the retention of queries.
 
We certainly can apply code assignments from any provider (physician, NP, or PA) that has been involved in the care of the patient. So, in general, the PA or NP answering these queries is acceptable, if, of course, they provided care to the patient during the encounter.
 
If you ask them to amend the discharge summary, examine your organization’s policies related to who is allowed to amend discharge summaries. For example, if the PA is not the one who wrote the discharge summary, should they be the one to add a change? I would suggest you speak to your HIM director if this is an issue.
 
Lastly, if you ask a query due to conflict between providers (for example, the PA states one diagnosis and the attending is stating a completely different diagnosis) the clarification must come from the attending physician.
 
As is almost always the case in the world of clinical documentation improvement, coding, and medicine, it is a bit complicated.
 
Editor’s note: Laurie L. Prescott, RN, MSN, CCDS, CDIP, AHIMA-approved ICD-10-CM/PCS trainer, and CDI education specialist at HCPro, a division of BLR, in Danvers, Massachusetts, answered this question on the ACDIS website. Contact her at [email protected].
 
This answer was provided based on limited information submitted to JustCoding. Be sure to review all documentation specific to your own individual scenario before determining appropriate code assignment.

 

Need expert coding advice? Submit your question to editor Steven Andrews at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to get an answer for you.

HCPro.com – JustCoding News: Inpatient

E/M Coding Course rationale and correct answer do not match….

E/M Coding Course Question:
Question 1
SUBJECTIVE: The patient has no known allergies. She is diabetic since 2002. She takes 81 mg of aspirin daily. Medication list is noted. The patient is here for annual diabetic foot check. She does have diabetic shoes. She denies cigarette use or tobacco use.

OBJECTIVE: On examination, she has elongated thickened toenails 1 through 5 bilaterally, mycotic appearing. Finding is consistent with fungal toenails. We discussed diabetic foot care do’s and don’ts. She has intact sensation with 128 cycles per second tuning fork at the level of great toe. She has intact sensation with 5.07 monofilament plantar foot. No foot ulceration is seen. DP and PT pulses are palpable.

IMPRESSION:
1.Onychomycosis
2.Diabetes mellitus.

PLAN: I reduced toenails 1 through 5 manually and with electric grinder. I will see her back for followup in 10-12 weeks

What diagnoses would be reported?

A. E11.9, B35.1
B. E11.40, B35.1
C. B35.1, E11.9
D. B35.1, E11.621

The rationale for this question states Onychomycosis is sequenced first; However, that shows as incorrect when graded. When E11.9 is sequenced first followed by B35.1, the answer shows as correct. What is the correct sequencing for this question.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

E/M Course Answer Issue Incorrect against Rule Re DM and Onychomycosis

I just taken a Mod 8 Test / Qstn No. 1 of the Evaluation and Management Course. DX is: Onychomycosis and DM, I selected Answer C, however the online test is only accepting Answer A to be the correct answer.
However this goes against it’s Reasoning which states:

* There was no mention of diabetic neuropathy or ulcer
* There was no documentation that the onychomycosis is a diabetic complication
* Pt. was seen for foot check, and the onychomycosis was found during this check
* Resulting this to be coded as 1st Dx: Oychomycosis B35.1 and 2nd DX: DM E11.9

Please correct this issue or explain why the system is accepting Answer A rather than Answer C. Thank you for your help.

ojt

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

CEMC Practice Exam Answer Clarification Needed!

I am in the process of taking the CEMC Practice Exam for my upcoming certification exam next weekend! However, the very first two cases are throwing me because I am coming up with different exam levels than what the rationales are stating!

Case 1-EM 2

The physical exam portion documents clear findings under the following headings (I’ve listed the organ system I associated to each in parenthesis):
Head and Neck-(Musculoskeletal)
Thyroid (Lymphatic)
Lungs (Respiratory)
Heart (Cardiovascular)
Abdomen (GI)
Breasts, Pelvic, Vulva, Cervix, Vagina, Uterus, Adnexa-(GU)

However, this is where I think I may be confused…

The BP is documented (Constitutional)
Then it shows General-WNL, no apparent acute distress

Does "no apparent acute distress" not account for the Psychiatric? The rationale states the exam, according to 1995 guidelines, is detailed due to detailed findings in 2-7 body areas/organ systems. I’m guessing I am misinterpreting the distress as part of the Psychiatric instead of General Appearance under Constitutional. However, I don’t understand why this wouldn’t count as "Mood and Affect" which includes descriptors such as anxiety and agitation.

Case 2-EM 5

The physical exam portion documents clear findings under the following headings (I’ve listed the organ system I associated to each in parenthesis):

Integument (Skin)
Ears, Nose/Sinus, Throat/Mouth (ENMT)
Lungs (Respiratory)
Heart (Cardiovascular)
Abdomen (GI)
Head (Musculoskeletal)
General-A&O x3, no acute distress (Psychiatric)

This is where I think I’m missing something:

The HT, WT, and Temp are documented in the note, but underneath the HPI and not in the actual PE part of the note. Can those vitals still be counted as part of the Constitutional? The note doesn’t specifically state one way or another whether or not the actual physician took the vitals or if it was the tech/MA…

With that being said, it is also documented under Neck, "Supple without Lymphadenopathy". Therefore, can you not count the "without Lymphadenopathy" as part of the Lymphatic system instead of grouping the neck with the Musculoskeletal? The 1995 guidelines (which were used in the rationale) only state that for the comprehensive general multi-system examination, it only has to include "findings about 8 or more of the 12 organ systems".

The note clearly documents findings in 7 systems. Therefore, the Constitutional or the Lymphatic would make 8 (or 9), but the rationale for the note is that it is a Detailed exam based on 1995 guidelines due to detailed findings in 2-7 body areas and/or organ systems.

Can someone explain where I am wrong (or maybe right??) in my justification? This is driving me crazy!!

Dawn Wachtel, CPC, CPB

Medical Billing and Coding Forum