Introduction to Medical Coding. Fall 2010

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Allegany College

of Maryland

Introduction to Medical Coding

Fall 2010

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Course Title & Number: 61-118 Introduction to Medical Coding Class Schedule: Web Course

Instructor: Cindy Zumbrun MEd, RHIT, CCS-P Office Location: T 126

Office Phone: 301-784-5132

E-Mail: [email protected]

Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday 12:30-2:00 MATERIALS NEEDED:

Medical Coding Online 2010 for Step-by-Step Medical Coding 2010 Edition (User Guide, Access Code & Textbook) by Carol Buck; Elsevier 2010

ISBN: 978-1-4377-1600-9

Virtual Medical Office Study Guide with Online Simulation (Mountain View Clinic); Elsevier 2010, ISBN: 978-1-4377-1505-7

2010 Educational ICD-9-CM Volumes 1, 2, 3, w/HCPCS II; Cengage-Delmar Learning; ISBN: 1601512694

CPT 2010 Standard; AMA Press

**Under extenuating circumstances, the instructor has the right to change any course provisions or requirements during the semester.

I. PURPOSE

A. SUMMARY

This course will address diagnostic (ICD) and procedural (CPT) coding. The course will broaden coding knowledge and enhance coding skills by covering a variety of medical specialties and coding issues encountered in healthcare providers’ offices.

Prerequisite/Concurrent Enrollment: Office Technologies 110 B. STUDENT LEARNING GOALS

1. Students will apply technology and technical skills to complete office tasks.

2. Students will demonstrate effective written and oral communication skills. 3. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the importance of life-long

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4. Students will perform their responsibilities while practicing professional and ethical values.

C. OBJECTIVES/COMPETENCIES

Objectives and Intended Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will identify the purpose of the CPT manual.

2. Students will state the importance of using the current year CPT manual. 3. Students will recognize the symbols used in the CPT manual.

4. Students will list the major sections found in the CPT manual. 5. Students will interpret the information contained in the CPT section

guidelines.

6. Students will identify elements of the CPT manual format.

7. Students will identify and use modifiers accurately in assigning CPT codes.

8. Students will accurately code a wide variety of patient services using the CPT code book.

9. Students will identify the purpose of ICD-9-CM.

10. Students will apply coding conventions when assigning diagnoses codes. 11. Students will identify characteristics of ICD-9-CM Volumes 1, 2, and 3

formats.

12. Students will assign ICD-9-CM codes to the highest level of specificity.

AAMA Competencies

These competencies are required by the American Association of Medical Assistants and test the student’s ability to perform a task at an acceptable level. There are cognitive (C), psychomotor (P) and affective (A) competency levels. You are tested on your cognitive comps through the use of exams. The psychomotor and affective comps in this course will be tested through additional written assignments as well as the use of the Virtual Medical Office component of this course.

IV Concepts of Effective Communication

IV.A.8. Analyze communications in providing appropriate responses/feedback VIII. Procedural and Diagnostic Coding

VIII.C.1. Describe how to use the most current procedural coding system VIII.C.2. Define upcoding and why it should be avoided

VIII.C.3. Describe how to use the most current diagnostic coding classification system

VIII.C.4. Describe how to use the most current HCPCS coding system VIII.P.1. Perform procedural coding

VIII.P.2. Perform diagnostic coding

VIII.A.1.Work with physician to achieve the maximum reimbursement X. Ethical Considerations

X.A.1. Apply ethical behaviors, including honesty/integrity in performance of medical assisting practice

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II. COURSE POLICIES

This course will be conducted according to Allegany College of Maryland Student Handbook and the following policies are in addition to the Handbook policies: ATTENDANCE—Not applicable as this is a web course.

HOW THE COURSE IS CONDUCTED

Welcome to the online version of Introduction to Medical Coding. Since there will be no face-to-face class lecture, it is imperative that you are conscientious, motivated and self-disciplined. While the course is very flexible in terms of when you put in the time, you can expect to average about the same amount of time as a normal lecture course -- about three hours total a week per credit. This comes out to nine hours per week. Note also that the course is NOT self-paced. Assignments are due by specific dates. All tests and quizzes must be completed by midnight on the date indicated on the course calendar. You may work ahead if you like, but you may not work behind.

A list of all assignments and their due dates is included in the course calendar. You are expected to refer to the calendar and to complete all assignments on time. If you have difficulty with the assignments or have any questions, please contact me and I will be happy to assist you.

TEXTBOOK

Your primary resource is your text and coding books. You will need four books for this class. If you do not want to come to campus to pick up your books, you can either order them from the Allegany College of Maryland bookstore and ask them to mail the books to you (301-784-5348) or order your books online. You can order your text/access code package at

http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/product.jsp?sid=&isbn=9781437716009&lid=EHS_US _BS-DIS-3&iid. The ISBN for this package is ISBN: 978-1-4377-1600-9. You will also need the Virtual Medical Office (VMO) from Elsevier and this can be ordered at

http://www.us.elsevierhealth.com/product.jsp?sid=EHS_US_BS-SPE-440&isbn=9781437715057&lid=EHS_US_BS-DIS-3&iid=0. The ISBN for the VMO is ISBN: 978-1-4377-1505-7. Remember, there may be an additional fee for shipping. You will also need to order the CPT and ICD code books. You may order your CPT book from Elsevier or any publisher. It needs to be a 2010 book. Your ICD\HCPCS can be ordered from Thomson-Delmar at the following site:

http://www.cengagebrain.com/shop/ISBN/9781601512697?cid=APL1. The ISBN for this book is 9781601512697. If ordering any textbooks online, use the ISBN number indicated on the syllabus to be sure you order the correct textbook. If you choose this route, please be sure when you order that the textbook it is in stock in order to avoid delays.

GETTING STARTED

You may start on the course as soon as it becomes available (usually the first week of school), based upon the assignments indicated in the syllabus. As soon as you register for the course you should send me an email. Without your email address, I have no way of contacting you. This must be done no later than the end of the second week of class,

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but the sooner the better. My email address is [email protected]. Please be sure to send me the email from the account you will be using throughout the course.

Blackboard will be the primary method for conducting the course. I will respond to your e-mail to let you know that you are registered and can log in to begin.

Please include in the subject line “Coding-Enrollment”. If you do not put this in the subject line, your e-mail will not reach me. In the body of the email include:

Your full name

Your full mailing address Your e-mail address

Your preferred contact phone number MISCELLANEOUS POLICIES

A. Tutoring: Tutoring may be available through the Instructional Assistance Center (IAC). If you need assistance, please notify the instructor immediately.

B. Cheating and Plagiarism Policy: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in the online classroom and will result in disciplinary action for the student(s). If a student is caught cheating or plagiarizing, the student(s) will receive a score of ―0‖ for that test or assignment. The second occurrence will result in the student’s final grade being lowered one letter grade. If there is 3rd occurrence, the student will be referred to the Vice President of Student and Legal Affairs for possible disciplinary action.

C. Reading new and recent articles from publications pertaining to topics discussed in class is encouraged. Reading suggestions will be announced in class as new and timely articles are published. You are required to read and summarize 2 current event coding articles.

D. Students MUST have an average of 74% on all exams and/or quizzes and successfully complete all competencies in order to receive a ―C‖ or better in the course.

E. In compliance with federal 504/ADA requirements, Allegany College of Maryland supports the belief that all ―otherwise qualified‖ citizens should have access to higher education and that individuals should not be excluded from this pursuit solely by reason of handicap. The college is committed to the integration of students with disabilities into all areas of college life. Therefore, support services are intended to maximize the independence and participation of disabled students. Further, the College complies with applicable state and federal laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in the admission and treatment of students. Any student who has a disability should contact the Director of Learning Support and Disability Services at 301-784-5112, TDD 301-784-5001,

[email protected] or

http://www.allegany.edu/ssc/disabledstudentservices.shtml to obtain information and assistance.

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While accommodations may be made for written testing, students are required to complete the performance outcomes, conditions, and standards for all

competencies for the Medical Assistant and Office Technologies programs.

F. Email Policy

 Email is an important part of our business and personal life. When comparing personal and business email, there is a difference in the type of information shared, level of formality, and format we use. As an aspiring health

professional, the Medical Assistant and Office Technologies programs require that when communicating with our instructors or staff, you use business email etiquette. The following is the policy for emailing your instructors and/or staff:

1. When communicating with instructors, use your college email account.

 To set up a college email address, go to: http://student.allegany.edu/

2. Use proper greetings.

3. Keep the email short and to the point.

4. Make sure the name of the course is in the subject line so instructors know what class the question is concerning.

5. Use correct spelling and proper grammar.

6. Do not use emoticons or abbreviations in the email. 7. Sign the email

 Always use the following guidelines when sending e-mail to me.

In the subject area, enter ―Coding‖ and clearly identify the topic of your e-mail:

Example: Coding – Question about …

Coding – Homework Assignment ….

 I receive a lot of email from a variety of sources. Many of you have an e-mail address that does not lend itself to easy identification of you as a student so you should always include your name in the e-mail. If you fail to put the word “Coding” in your subject line it is possible that I may not have received your email. I check my email daily on weekdays. If your question requires a lengthy explanation/response from me, I will respond within 24-48 hours. If your e-mail is a quick question or comment, I will respond as soon as I read it.

II. ADMINISTRATIVE EVALUATIONS/COMPS

Administrative evaluations and comps are for testing purpose only. The student must be able to demonstrate correct principles and techniques without prompting from the instructor. Each student will have three attempts to demonstrate proficiency for the assigned skill. If the student is unsuccessful on the third attempt, he/she will fail

Introduction to Medical Coding. It is the responsibility of the student to review corrected work and ask questions that will enhance learning the assigned skill.

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STUDENTS MUST PASS ALL COMPETENCIES IN ORDER TO PASS THE COURSE

Your competencies for this course will be based on your answers to exercises in the Virtual Medical Office. This simulation shows your ability to choose correct codes based on the documentation in the patient’s record. You must have 74% on these simulations to pass the competency. If your score is below 74%, you will be given two more tries to pass the comp. However, your original score will be recorded in the grade book. Additionally, there are two assignments that you must complete to assess your

competency in the areas of ethics and working with the physician to obtain maximum payment. These assignments are listed on the course schedule and may be found in the assignment section of Blackboard.

III. COURSE REQUIREMENTS

A. Competencies - All administrative competencies are based on a Pass/Fail grade. A passing grade is 74%. Your coding competency will be assessed on each lesson in the Virtual Medical Office. As previously stated, you will have 3 attempts to pass the competency. If you do not pass after 3 attempts, you will fail the course. No points are awarded for competencies. Points are, however, awarded for completion of the VMO assignments. This grade is based on 10 points per lesson. Your grade will be your percentage grade on a 10 point scare. For example, if you complete lesson 1 with an 84%, you will receive 8.4 points toward your final grade.

B. Exams/Final Exam - Exams will be after completion of each chapter and are listed on the Class Calendar. You may take the chapter exams any time before the due date on the calendar. I suggest that you write the answers down to your test questions and keep a hard copy. If your Internet connection fails before you submit your test results, the answers will be lost unless you have a written copy. After midnight on the due date, the exams will no longer be available. If you fail to meet the deadlines three times during the semester for this class, you will be dropped from the class. The tests on Blackboard are programmed so that once you open them you must complete them. What this means is that you may not open the test, print it, close it and then reopen it to put your answers in. You are allowed 1 hour to complete the tests and you are only allowed to open the test once.

There are no make-up tests for this course. Students must have an average of 74% on all their exams to be successful in the course.

IV. GRADING

The final grade will be based on the following:

*Exercises/Activities Total Points Article Reviews (2 reviews at 10 points each) 20 Chapter Exams (44 with a total of 438 points) 428

Final Exam (1exam at 100 points) 100

Virtual Medical Office Simulations (19 at 10 points each

190

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 100% of affective and psychomotor comps must be passed in order to pass this course.

 Students MUST have an average of 74% on all exams and/or quizzes and pass all competencies in order to receive a ―C‖ or better in the course.

V. FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS) BOARD

Many students throughout the semester will ask me to reopen tests so that they can take them because they have missed the deadline. Unless you have had a computer/Internet failure and the test is showing a lock in the gradebook, I will not reopen tests past the deadline. If there is a problem with the Internet connection that locks your test, please e-mail me immediately. Please stay on target with your course schedule and you will not have any problems completing the course.

If you have a question or problem please contact me by email at

[email protected]. I check email daily (weekdays only). If the question is

something that others may be wondering about I will also post the question and answer to the announcements screen.

VI. CONTACTING ME

If you need to speak to me by phone please call my office number at (301) 784-5132. My office hours are Monday and Wednesday from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m. If this is not convenient for you, please send me an email and we can arrange a phone meeting at a mutually convenient time. You may contact me by email at [email protected] at any time. I respond to e-mail on a daily basis, Monday through Friday. Please be aware that during the winter months, we may experience some technical difficulties with Internet connections. If the Internet connection to Blackboard does not work, ACM’s e-mail may also not be working. Please do not panic! I will extend any test deadlines that are interrupted by Internet connection failure.

VII. BLACKBOARD

This course will be conducted using Blackboard software. You do not need to purchase software to use Blackboard; however, you will need a login and password to access it. You will be provided with the login and password.

After receiving your blackboard username and password you should immediately login to your Blackboard account and orient yourself with Blackboard. You should review the student manual by logging into Blackboard, clicking on the "Tools" button and then

Grade Points A (100% - 93%) 683-738 B (92% - 85%) 624-682 C (84% - 74%) 543-623 D (73% - 65%) 476-542 F (64% and below) 475-0

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clicking on "Manual". You should also print a copy of the "Student Blackboard Handout" in the "Course Documents" section.

You should be able to perform the following functions in blackboard by the end of the first week of class:

Log into your blackboard account (remember to log out when finished!)

Find and read announcements Find and read course assignments Find and read course documents Send email

Find the grades area

VIII. SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS AS ELECTRONIC FILES

All online tests and quizzes are automatically submitted to the Gradebook when you click the ―Submit‖ button at the end of the exam. Please be aware that once you start a test, it must be finished. You will have one hour to complete the tests with the exception of the final exam which has a time limit of 3 hours. This is similar to the time and requirements for in-class tests. The chapter exams will be available until midnight on the due date listed on the course calendar. It is very important that you adhere to these dates as the tests will no longer be available after the date. You are encouraged to work ahead in the course and prohibited from working behind.

If you feel strongly that your answer is correct and has been marked incorrectly, please let me know by e-mail with the question number and page in the text that you are referencing. There are times when the answers that are programmed in the course cartridge have been incorrect.

All other assignments may be submitted to me via the digital dropbox. These

assignments include the VMO lessons, an E&M assignment where you will work with the physician to achieve maximum reimbursement, and an ethical coding assignment. Finally, you will have to complete two article reviews. These may also be sent via the digital dropbox. Instructions for these assignments may be found in the Assignment section of Blackboard.

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WEEK ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE

Week 1 8/23-8/27

Chapter 1: Reimbursement, HIPAA and Compliance

Current Event Articles are due on Friday, August 27. These may be sent through the digital drop box or via e-mail to the instructor—MA Comp IV.A.8.

Virtual Medical Office Lesson 1

Chapter 1 exam is due by midnight on Sunday, August 29. VMO is due on Monday, August 30. Week 2 8/30-9/3

Chapter 2: An Overview of ICD-9-CM

Chapter 3: Outpatient Coding and Reporting Guidelines Virtual Medical Office Lessons 2-3

Chapters 2 and 3 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, September 5. VMO is due on Tuesday, September 7. Week 3 9/6-9/10 Chapter 7: ICD-10-CM Chapter 4: Using ICD-9-CM Virtual Medical Office Lesson 4

Chapters 7and 4 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, September 12. VMO is due on Monday, September 13. Weeks 4 and 5 9/13-9/24

Chapter 5: Chapter Specific Guidelines (ICD-9-CM Chapters 1-8) Chapter 6: Chapter Specific Guidelines (ICD-9-CM Chapters 9-17) Virtual Medical Office Lesson 5

Chapters 5 and 6 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, September 26 VMO is due on Monday, September 27. Week 6 9/27-10/1

Chapter 8: Introduction to the CPT and Level II National Codes (HCPCS)

Chapter 9: Modifiers

Virtual Medical Office Lessons 6-7

Coding Ethics Assignment (see Assignment tab in Blackboard)—MA comps X.A.1 and X.A.2

Chapters 8 and 9 exams and Coding Ethics assignment are due by midnight on Sunday, October 3. VMO is due on Monday, October 4. Week 7 10/4-10/8

Chapter 10: Evaluation and Management Services (E/M Services) E/M Written Assignment (see Assignment tab in Blackboard)—MA comp VII.A.1

Chapter 10 exam and the E/M Written assignment are due by midnight

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Virtual Medical Office Lesson 8 on Sunday, October 10. VMO is due on Monday, October 11. Week 8 10/11-10/15

Chapter 12: Surgery Guidelines and General Surgery Chapter 13: Integumentary System

Chapters 12 and 13 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, October 17. VMO is due on Monday, October 18. Week 9 10/18-10/22

Chapter 14: Musculoskeletal System Chapter 15: Respiratory System Virtual Medical Office Lessons 12-13

Chapters 14 and 15 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, October 24. VMO is due on Wednesday, October 27. Week 10 10/25-10/29

Chapter 16: Cardiovascular System

Chapter 17: Hemic, Lymphatic, Mediastinum and Diaphragm Virtual Medical Office Lesson 14

Chapters 16 and 17 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, October 31. VMO is due on Monday, November 1. Week 10 11/1-11/5

Chapter 18: Digestive System

Chapter 19: Urinary and Male Genital System Virtual Medical Office Lessons 15 and 16

Chapters 18 and 19 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, November 7. VMO is due on Monday, November 8. Week 11 11/8-11/12

Chapter 20: Reproductive, Intersex Surgery, Female Genital System, and Maternity Care and Delivery

Chapter 21: Endocrine and Nervous Systems Virtual Medical Office Lesson 17

Chapter 22: Eye, Ocular Adnexa, Auditory and Operating Microscope

Chapter 23: Radiology

Chapters 22 and 23 exams are due by midnight on Sunday,

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Virtual Medical Office Lesson 18 November 21. VMO is due on Monday, November 22. Week 13 11/22-11/26 Chapter 24: Pathology/Laboratory Chapter 25: Medicine

Chapter 26: Inpatient Coding

Chapter 26 exams are due by midnight on Sunday, December 5. Week 15 12/6-12/10

Your final exam is due by midnight on Sunday, December 12. This exam is on Blackboard and consists of 100 questions. You will have 3 hours to complete it. Remember, once you open it, you cannot close and re-open it at a later time. The final exam covers MA Comps VIII.P.1 and VIII.P.2.

Final exam is due by midnight on Sunday, December 12.