Introduction to Your 2023 CPT Book

Summary

This video script offers an in-depth guide on how to effectively highlight and annotate a medical coding book, emphasizing the use of a color-coded legend for various coding elements. It recommends resources like the Certification Coding Organization (cco.us), AAPC's YouTube channel, and Victoria Mall's Contempo Coding for advanced knowledge. The speaker details a personal strategy for choosing highlighter colors for anatomical sites, units, procedure types, and radiological guidance, while also discussing the importance of understanding CPT book instructions, modifiers, and time-based coding.

Takeaways

• 📘 Start by adding highlights and notes to your resource books for important information.
• 🔍 Check out the Certification Coding Organization (cco.us) for advanced level highlighting and annotating resources.
• 📚 Utilize the AAPC's YouTube channel and videos by experts like Alex and Ray Jimenez for insights on making resource books work effectively.
• 🌟 Emphasize the importance of highlighting and noting in books as recommended by Victoria Mall of Contempo Coding.
• 🎨 Develop a personal legend for highlighter colors to categorize information, such as green for anatomical sites and orange for units or degrees.
• 🛍️ Mr. Pen is a sponsor with a range of products like highlighters and markers that are praised for their quality and bleed-through prevention.
• 📝 Use different colors for various categories like yellow for levels or order, purple for specific code types, and blue for approaches like laparoscopic.
• 🚫 Remember that certain modifiers (24, 25, and 57) are exclusive to Evaluation and Management Services and should not be applied to other service codes.
• 📑 Highlight important sections in the CPT book, such as the use of the book, the annual publication cycle, and the distinction between physicians and other health care professionals.
• ⏰ Understand the concept of time in medical coding, with a unit of time being obtained once the midpoint of the time interval has passed.
• 📌 Create personal notes and highlights for special instructions, such as not reporting certain codes together and understanding the use of add-on codes.
• 📝 Add tabs or sections for terminology and body planes in the book for quick reference and to accommodate additional terms for better understanding.

Q & A

What is the purpose of the video session described in the transcript?

The purpose of the video session is to guide viewers on how to effectively use highlighters and annotations to study and make the most out of their resource books, particularly for higher-level coding certifications.

What is the Certification Coding Organization (CCO) and how can it help viewers?

The Certification Coding Organization (CCO) is a resource mentioned in the transcript that offers a higher level of highlighting and annotating guidance. It can help viewers by providing programs and resources for more advanced study and understanding of coding.

Why is it important to have a legend for highlighter colors when studying coding books?

Having a legend for highlighter colors is important because it helps to categorize and quickly identify different types of information, such as anatomical sites, units of measurement, and specific code types, making the study process more organized and efficient.

What color does the speaker prefer to use for highlighting anatomical sites and locations in the book?

The speaker prefers to use the color green for highlighting anatomical sites and locations.

Which YouTube channel is mentioned in the transcript for additional coding resources?

The transcript mentions AAPC's YouTube channel as a source for additional coding resources, including a video with AAPC Alex and Ray Jimenez discussing the importance of making resource books work for you.

What does the speaker suggest using the color yellow for in the coding book?

The speaker suggests using the color yellow for highlighting levels, time, or order in the coding book.

What is the significance of the color purple in the speaker's highlighting system?

In the speaker's highlighting system, the color purple is used to designate specific types of codes, such as those indicating whether a condition is malignant or benign.

Who is Mr. Penn and why is the speaker a fan of their products?

Mr. Penn is a sponsor mentioned in the transcript, and the speaker is a fan of their products because they offer a variety of useful tools for studying and annotating, such as highlighters, markers, and bleed-through products.

What is the significance of the term 'add-on codes' in the context of the CPT book?

Add-on codes in the CPT book are represented with a plus symbol and must include a parent code. They are not standalone codes and are excluded from modifiers 50 and 51, indicating that they are supplementary to the primary service or procedure.

Why is it important to understand the instructions and notes within the CPT code set?

It is important to understand the instructions and notes within the CPT code set because they provide guidance on when a code should not be reported with another code, ensuring accurate and appropriate coding practices.

What does the speaker suggest doing with the modifiers in the CPT book?

The speaker suggests highlighting the modifiers in the CPT book, especially the three specific modifiers (24, 25, and 57) that can only be used for evaluation and management services, to remind oneself of their exclusive use for these services.

How does the speaker recommend marking the beginning of the CPT book for personal reference?

The speaker recommends designating the book by writing 'This is my WHAT book' at the beginning of the inside cover, to remind oneself of the purpose and focus of the CPT book.