Registration, Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Heal Payment Leaks with Air-Tight Wound Repair Coding
Presented by: Terri Brame, CPC-GENSG, CPC-H

Wound repair can be simple — but coding for it is usually complex. You've got to know the location and size of the wound, and how to handle reporting multiple repairs, as well as the different methods (flaps and grafts, skin replacements, tissue tranfer) your physician can use. After this session, you'll know what the dividing lines between "simple," "intermediate" and "complex" repairs are, and how to code for each. You'll be able to report related procedures, such as debridement and vessel, nerve or tendon repair. And you'll learn what you can bill separately — and when — to ensure that your practice receives the pay-up it deserves.

Successfully Maneuver Through Coding And Billing For Breast Excisions, Incisions, And Biopsies
Presented by: Nanette Orme, CPC

Breast excisions, incisions and biopsies present distinct challenges for the coder — starting with knowing the difference between the procedures. You'll learn that, along with the crucial differences between a minimal excision and a partial mastectomy (an area of confusion that has tripped up many a veteran coder). Find out how to look beyond potentially misleading terms like "lumpectomy" and "quadrantectomy" and focus on the physician's intent to find the right code. And learn about related and staged procedures that can mean added reimbursement.

Defect-Free Coding For Skin Lesion Excisions
Presented by: Nanette Orme, CPC

Benign or malignant? With margins or without? Simple, intermediate or complex repair? With all these variables, coding for skin lesion excisions isn't always easy … but it can be. In this session, you'll learn how excisions differ from other removal procedures, such as paring or cutting and shaving of epidermal or dermal lesions. You'll discover how pathology and measuring techniques can affect your coding. Find out how to report multiple same-session excisions, and when you may report wound repairs separately. And get the lowdown on coding for associated procedures, such as vessel, nerve and tendon repair.