| To be successful in your medical coding career, | | | | ‘excludes’, ‘use additional code’ |
| you have to have medical coding carrier training. If | | | | and ‘code first conditions’, he advices. |
| you intend to pass your CPC-H exam, here are a | | | | Moreover, you should also pay close attention to |
| few tips you can take from someone who has | | | | the 4th and 5th digit-required notations. In fact, |
| crossed the tough CPC-H exam barrier and how! | | | | minding your fourth and fifth digits is tougher in |
| The examinee had mostly worked in physician | | | | some of this year’s ICD-9 books, which use |
| coding before deciding to take up the CPC exam | | | | color highlighting instead of marginal notations. |
| challenge. When he took the exam, his knowledge | | | | That apart, you should never code from the |
| on ICD-9 coding was tested more than he had | | | | alphabetic index. This is because some exam |
| expected it to, although the HCPCS and CPT | | | | questions are written to catch you trying to take |
| coding questions were pretty much what he | | | | this shortcut, which can lead to incorrect coding. |
| expected. | | | | During your study hours, you should review |
| According to him, if you are to ace the diagnosis | | | | diagnosis coding rules and practice coding |
| coding questions, you should make use of the | | | | conditions like burns, septicemia, diabetes, and |
| ‘open book’ and pay attention to | | | | some cardiovascular disorders which may make |
| notations like ‘includes’, | | | | appearances in the exam. |