Early Registration

Nuts & Bolts of ASC Coding

ASC coding is its own unique subset of coding. CPT codes and AMA Modifiers are used to report the procedures performed, but sometimes the guidelines follow physician coding while at other times hospital outpatient coding guidelines are employed. The challenge for ASC coders is to know when and which guideline to apply to ensure the integrity of the claims submitted and the revenue generated. During this session, Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS and Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA will review the basic concepts needed to accurately assign and code procedures performed in an ASC, including a comprehensive review of ASC modifier usage; ancillary coding opportunities; payment indicator use; when to apply CCI edits; and potential “hot” spots of over or undercoding. Whenever possible, Joanne and Cristina will illustrate these coding guidelines with real-life examples, operative notes, or authoritative references for your use back at the office.

Presenter: Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS and               Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA

Back to Basics: Everything You Wanted to Know About Coding But Were Afraid to Ask

Unlock the hidden treasures in your CPT book that will make you a better, more accurate coder. Map codes to punctuation guides, insurer guidelines, relative values, CCI edits and more. You'll come away with a wealth of knowledge you only heard, but didn't comprehend.

Presenter: Leslie Johnson, CPC

Expanding Your Practice: Leading Advice For Winning Results

Presenter: Jerrie K. Weith, FHFMA

Registration, Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Appeals For ASC: A to Z

Did you know that many denials, in fact, are NOT valid? Whether they’re due to a simple typo on a claim or a payer’s oversight, you have the right to knock on your payer's door and argue your case. Recouping the denied payment for your ASC is really quite simple -- if you know the ins and outs of the appeals process. And don't be shy just because you're in an ASC -- your appeals process is not that different from the one other facilities and practices use.

Presenter: Barbara Cobuzzi, MBA, CPC-OTO, CPC-H, CPC-P, CPC-I, CHCC

Toughen-Up Your Shoulders And Knees Coding With Powerful Expert Tips

Our expert will give you tools to properly report for Arthroscopic Shoulder and Knee procedures. Coding directives from the AMA, AAOS, and Medicare will be provided as well as tips for coding compartments of the knee and common procedures of the shoulder. This program will assist your facility with accurately capturing its orthopaedic procedures within a framework of compliance with individual carrier guidelines and policies.

Presenter: Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA

Become a Pain Management Coding Guru and Get Every Penny in the Door!

With Ambulatory Surgery Centers seeing a reimbursement reduction in pain management reimbursement, now more than ever it is imperative your ASC facility is maximizing its reimbursement! This session will review the essentials of proper reporting of pain management injections from an ASC perspective. Appropriate coding guidelines for an ASC facility’s more common pain injection procedures will be reviewed. The session will include documentation necessary to support medical necessity, bilateral procedure reporting, add-on code challenges/denials, and fluoroscopy utilization/reporting practices.

Presenter: Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA

Does GI Coding Have Your Stomach in Knots? Is General Surgery Coding Causing You Pain?

Then sit in on this informative session to get the answers to some of your toughtest GI and GS coding challeneges! During this session, Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MD, CPC, ACS, PCS will review the nuances of ASC coding for GI and GS procedures. With the decrease in reimbursement for common GI procedures, ASCs can no longer afford to improperly code or overlook “codeable” procedures. Find out how multiple polyp removal should be coded. Learn if you are improperly coding screening colonoscopies, and review some ancillary opportunities to optimize Medicare’s fee schedule. In the General Surgery session you will learn the differences between coding lesion excisions from the Musculoskeletal System versus the Integumentary System; what the CPT guidelines require for proper documentation and coding of lesion excision and repairs; and when you use pathology reports as a guide for lesion size and when you should NOT! Additionally, breast procedures and ancillary opportunities will be reviewed.

Presenter: Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS

Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Are You Seeing Clearly With Your ASC Ophthalmology Coding?

Ophthalmology is one of the few specialties that will benefit from CMS' whopping changes to ambulatory surgery center coding. But your success is only as good as your facility managers’, coders’ and billers’ knowledge of the new reimbursement rules. Open your eyes to new opportunities for ophthalmic ASC reimbursement with coding and billing expert, Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS. In this one-hour course you’ll learn valuable coding information to ensure your ASC receives every reimbursement dollar it deserves to include but not limited to: Cataract Surgery, HCPCS coding of IOL’s, Glaucoma & Retina procedures, injectable drugs, and strabismus surgery.

Presenter: Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS

ASC ENT Coding: Show Me the Money…It Might Be at the Tip of Your nose!

Does reading an FESS op note bring on a sinus headache for you? If so you are not alone – coding ENT procedures is overwhelming to even the most experienced coders because the op notes are usually long and complicated. You have to ask yourself a variety of questions to know how to code the report and capture the revenue due you, for instance, whether the procedures were performed bilaterally, is the code inherently unilateral, how many sinuses were entered, which procedure is reported first, are any procedures bundled via CCI edits or AMA guidelines and will multiple procedure discounting apply? But don’t despair, let surgery coder, Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS of FairCode Associates, walk you through the anatomical landmarks that assist with CPT code selection to ensure accurate coding and secure justified reimbursement.

Presenter: Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS

ASC Operative Note Abstracting & Anatomy

Coding from the procedure performed lines put you at risk of non-compliance and missing billable services. Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS and Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA will walk you through the fine art of dissecting an operative note to recover all codeable and billable procedures to maximize your reimbursement. Experienced and novice surgery coders alike will benefit as Joanne and Cristina walk you through actual op notes to reveal a comprehensive approach to coding and reimbursement for surgeries – including an intensive review of applicable modifiers. Joanne & Cristina will reveal how anatomical surgical landmarks can help decipher what the physician has done. Every procedure can bring in valuable reimbursement that in today’s environment can afford to be missed. The coder’s job is more important than ever in assuring the financial Join them as they goes over excerpts from a variety of operative notes using operative jargon and anatomical points to guide you to the most appropriate CPT code or codes. You’ll work through hands-on coding scenarios that will benefit you no matter what specialty you are.

Presenter: Joanne Schade-Boyce, RDH, MS, CPC, ACS, PCS and
              Cristina Bentin, CCS-P, CPC-H, CMA

Teach Your Doctor How to Properly Document and Avoid Under Coding Once and for All!

Coders & practice managers: We feel your pain. When it comes to proper documentation, do you feel like you and the physicians in your practice are rarely on the same page? And physicians: Are you worried your documentation isn’t doing what it needs to do to catch a ride on the reimbursement train? Join our nationally-recognized expert to receive must-have documentation education to ensure you are collecting every dollar you deserve, shining in audits and heading off compliance risks.

Presenter: Suzan Berman-Hvizdash, CPC, CPC-EDS, CPC-EMS