This practical guide prepares you for a career in medical coding with comprehensive coverage from the most trusted source in the field. In it you'll get an introduction to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), as well as in-depth explanations of the sections found in the CPT manual, in sequential order. Each chapter in Unit 1 introduces various procedures and demonstrate how to properly code them. Practice exercises reinforce important concepts and allow you to test your comprehension. This detailed, up-to-date resource also features complete coverage of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) and third-party reimbursement, along with 1997 documentation guidelines for E/M services, and Alpha II iCoder exercises.

Key Features

• Full-color presentation makes content visually stimulating.
• In-text exercises throughout each chapter reinforce coding rules and concepts and emphasize the book's step-by-step organization.
• Concrete ";real-life"; coding examples allow you to apply important coding principles and practices to actual scenarios from the field.
• Medical procedure illustrations and discussions help you better understand the services being coded.
• Three varieties of answer blanks test your understanding of correct coding practices.
• Coding Shots provide tips for complicated coding scenarios and advice for entering the job market.
• Stop! notes offer a brief summary of material just covered to help ensure retention and understanding and provide a transition into the next topic.
• Caution! notes warn users of common coding mistakes and reinforce the concept of coding as an exact science.
• Check This Out! Boxes offer notes on accessing reference information, primarily via the Internet.
• Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting boxes present the official guidelines alongside text discussions and visually indicate inpatient vs. outpatient use.
• 30-day trial access to Alpha II iCoder introduces you to professional coding software and acts as a supplement to the main text material.
• Companion CD provides a variety of activities that reinforce material from the text.

  New to this Edition

• Updated text presents the latest coding information available.
• Quick Check features immediately reinforce key concepts and test your retention and understanding.
• New From the Trenches quotes provide valuable insights from instructors and professionals in the medical coding field.
• Coders Index makes it easy to instantly locate specific codes.