Early Registration

Your Go-To Guide to Global Patient Care
If you don’t understand everything about global period coding, you’re not getting the full reimbursement your cardiothoracic practice deserves. In this in-depth workshop, you’ll learn the ins and out of coding and billing for global patient care like:

• 11 consultation coding mistakes that set you up for OIG audits.
• Take out this appeals ammo when payers downcode consults to new patient visits.
• Global periods made easy: The cardiothoracic coder’s guide to Medicare and private payer rules.
• Think your NPPs can’t bill for consults? Here’s how.
• Post-op Complications: 2 criteria you must meet to bill a separate code to Medicare, and how some private payers give you a break.
• What CPT doesn’t tell you — and where to go to find the information you need to get paid.
• Appending modifier 78? Don’t forget this diagnosis coding move.
• Postsurgical infections alert: Here’s how most practices are losing $80 per claim.

Registration, Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Strengthen Your ICD-9 Coding & Support Medical Necessity
Sandy Giangreco, CPC-OBGYN, CPC-H, CPC-I

Your diagnosis coding can make or break your claim, and sometimes the jargon in the surgeon’s note doesn’t jive with your ICD-9 manual. In this session, you’ll learn to spot and fix your ICD-9 coding mistakes. Plus, you can improve the information you get from your surgeons in just one hour if you pass on these easy-to-apply tips when you return to the office. You’ll learn things like:

• Put the V code first on the claim when you see one of these situations in the note. Plus: How to turn 2008’s new V codes into reimbursement dollars for your practice.
• ICD-9 coding tips for embolism and thrombosis locations that support higher levels of service.
• Complications coding crash course. Get the ICD-9 right every time.

Refreshment Break

Coding for Brochoscopies, Esophagoscopies & Other Diagnostic Services
Sandy Giangreco, CPC-OBGYN, CPC-H, CPC-I

• Using 99360 to score a reimbursement boost? Here’s how most practices misinterpret “standby for frozen section” and set themselves up for audits.
• Repeat 71010s for the same patient on the same day: Here’s the modifier that gets you paid — and the V code that supports medical necessity.
• Little-known NCCI edits that can get you over $100 more for fluoroscopic and ultrasound guidance procedures — if you know the ropes.
• Caths with surgeries: Test your 36005, 36215 & 36245 know-how with these scenarios.

CPT & Billing Update — Plus Audit Strategies That Ensure Your Coding’s On Track
Presented By: Bea Olsen, PCS, CPC, CPC-I, CCAT

In this session, our expert leads you through the latest coding and reimbursement news affecting your practice. You’ll come out of this course knowing:

• All you need to know about the new maze procedure codes.
• Coding strategies for unlisted procedures — and when modifier 22 is better.
• PQRI bonuses for 2008: Here’s what you need to get that reimbursement boost. Plus, handy documentation sheets for physicians.
• Modifier Crash Course: Where most cardiothoracic practices get their modifiers wrong.

Two-fers: How to Get the Reimbursement You Deserve for
Co-Surgery & Surgical Assistance
Presented By: Bea Olsen, PCS, CPC, CPC-I, CCAT

Arrrrgh. It’s hard enough coding for one surgeon, but what if you’re dealing with an op report where two surgeons were involved? Don’t despair. This session gives you all the tools you need to gain maximum ethical reimbursement for co-surgeries and surgical assistance. Learn how to tell the difference between the two, documentation musts, modifier moves and more:

• Documentation Don’t: The casual lingo that costs most practices thousands in lost reimbursement — and the surprisingly simple fix.
• Stop your modifier 62 denials with 4 easy steps.
• Co-surgery or sequential surgery? Here’s how coding pros tell the difference.
• 4 steps to help you collect when a PA or other NPP assists at surgery.
• Coding challenge: Sharpen your coding expertise with these scenarios.
• Audit tool: Discover where you’re losing money — and get all you need to help your practice stay compliant.

Hats Off to VATS!

Yes, video-assisted thorascopic surgery (VATS) has been around for a little while, but coding for it is no cake walk. After this session, you’ll have all the facts to code for VATS. You’ll learn:

• The anatomy of a VATS procedure: The incisions, the approaches, and where the endoscope’s journey begins and ends.
• A takeaway guide to VATS lingo so you’ll never have to sweat over an op note again.
• 32650 vs. 32601/32602. We show you what to look for in the note to make the correct choice.
• What documentation you must provide to support medical necessity for VATS.
• Sample VATS op reports to sharpen your coding skills.
• Bonus: Bring in your biggest VATS stumpers and let our expert show you how you should code them.

Refreshment Break

Your Map to Coding Maze Procedures

Small radio waves, incisions, freezing, ultrasound waves — it’s no wonder coding for maze can make you feel … well … lost. Our maze coding expert will help you find your way, teaching you the anatomy of the procedure, as well as:

• What you need to document medical necessity for maze.
• How to code correctly when maze is performed along with other procedures.
• Writing off modified maze procedures? 3 new add-on options no one’s telling you about.
• Minimize your minimaze coding woes with these secrets from a pro.

Cocktail Party

Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Special Focus: Special Defect Repair

In this session, get ready to learn the nuts and bolts of coding for special defect repair, including:

• Secrets to getting the reimbursement you deserve for SPECT tests, wall motion studies, and ejection fraction studies.
• Neonate with congenital pneumonia and pneumothorax: ICD-9 coding solutions for this and other stumpers.
• Step-by-step guide to billing for unlisted procedures. Follow these tips and reduce your appeals.
• Op Report Roundtable: Learn what to look for in your physician’s note with these coding scenarios.
• Bring in coding stumpers from your desk and get answers from an expert.
• Physician lingo cheat sheet. Terms you’ll see in an op report and what they mean for your coding.

Coding Cardiac Procedures
Presented By: Yvonne Hoiland, CCS-P, CPC-H, RCC, CPC, PMCC Instructor

In this session, you’ll master coding for cardiac procedures like:

• CAD Dx coding for CABG: You need more than one code from the 414.0x series if you see this red flag.
• 1 arterial graft, attachment to coronary artery in 2 places: CPT’s little-known note is your key to deciding between 33534 & 33533.
• 5 take-home decision charts that help you choose correctly from the 30 pacemaker codes. 
• Documentation checklist for 33864 — plus the anatomical crash course coders need to master ‘Tirone David’ & ‘Yacoub.’ Bonus: When 33861 or 33863 is the better choice.
• Use these 2 code sets if you want optimal reimbursement for severe aortic valve conditions.
• Vein only or vein plus arteries. Handy CABG coding chart that helps you select the correct code.

Refreshment Break

Peripheral Vascular Coding Tips You Can’t Afford To Miss
Presented By: Yvonne Hoiland, CCS-P, CPC-H, RCC, CPC, PMCC Instructor

With peripheral vascular disease on the rise in 10 million Americans and counting, mastering correct coding and billing for PVD procedures is critical. Join our expert as he transforms the voluminous rules specific to PV billing into a logical and easy to understand format.  You can’t afford to miss out on this informative session with topics like:

• Vascular Families – Can you distinguish them all?
• Learn when it is appropriate – and inappropriate – to bill for multiple interventions to treat the same lesion.
• All your vein stripping questions answered.
• Plus, a question & answer session for your PV coding dilemmas.

Surgical Billing Strategies That Bring in the $$$

Any billing system that’s less than optimal puts your cardiothoracic surgery at risk for financial failure. Beef up your practice’s chances for success with this session on billing, contracting, A/R, and appeals from nationally recognized billing and reimbursement expert.

• A/R metrics you should shoot for. Plus, how to slash collection times.
• Revealed: Medicare’s top 9 reasons for denying your claims.
• Tried-and-true ways to fight the lost claim excuse.
• Surefire way to know whether that insurer is underpaying you — and how to negotiate better terms next time.
• Trouble understanding how the appeals process works? Our expert simplifies it and turns you into an expert!
• Scout out where the biggest appeals opportunities lie: See where you stand to collect the most for your persistence.
• Medicare vs. private payers: Tailor your appeal based on who’s paying you.
• Make filing as easy as 1-2-3 with this handy checklist.