Early Registration

Nuts & Bolts of General Surgery Coding

This workshop is perfect for coders new to this specialty or looking for a refresher. You will gain tips for terminology, anatomy, bundling issues, the common pitfalls of surgical coding and E/M coding for the surgery practice, and much more! Our expert will give you examples of coding a patient from new patient visit, surgery, post op care with complications.

Presenter: Susan E. Garrison, CHC, CHCA, PCS, FCS, CCS P, CPAR, CPC, CPC H

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

Can't Miss: General Surgery 2009 CPT Updates

Learn about all changes to CPT, ICD-9 and the physician fee schedule for 2009 that will affect your general surgery practice the most. You'll get tips on how to prepare your office for the upcoming changes, plus how to find and use vital coding resources that will benefit you all year long.

Presenter: Kathleen A. Mueller, RN, CPC, CCS-P, CMSCS, PCS

Option #1:
Stop Leaving $$$ On the Table for Vascular Surgery Coding: Insider Tactics Revealed

The key to unlocking the mystery of Vascular Coding is contained within the operative report. We will give you some guidelines as how to identify the right keys that will open the door to proper reimbursement. Learn how to differentiate among and apply these vascular codes correctly.

Presenter: Kathleen A. Mueller, RN, CPC, CCS-P, CMSCS, PCS

Option #2:
Establishing Medical Decision Making Level (MDM): Expert Secrets Revealed

Protect your physicians’ E/M levels with these tools that will get the coding team submitting MDM-driven services that will withstand any payer scrutiny. Plus, bust the E/M loophole myth in this action packed session.

Presenter: Sandy Nicholson, MA, RHIA, CCS-P

Option #1:
Climb Up the Reimbursement Scale for Wound Care Coding

CPT contains various codes to describe a variety of skin grafting techniques and materials. Learn how to differentiate among, and apply, these codes correctly, plus the must-know facts on how to assign diagnoses codes for burns.

Presenter: Marcella Bucknam, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CPC-P, COC-OBGYN, CPC-CARDIO

Option #2:
Incorporating PQRI Into Your Practice: How to Get Your Medicare Bonus

Take the plunge in 2009 and get added money for reporting work your physicians already do. With P4P around the corner, there's no better time to join. Quickly spot the qualifiers you should report on and make sense of the modifier indicators.

Presenter: Alice Marie Reybitz, RN, BA, CPC, CPC-H

Avoid Missteps With Hernia Repair Coding and Minimize Audit Risks

You'll learn how the answers to a few simple questions can help you select the correct hernia repair code, every time. Plus: When and how to report related mesh placement or removal procedures, ICD-9 coding, related anatomy and more.

Presenter: Marcella Bucknam, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CPC-P, COC-OBGYN, CPC-CARDIO

Refreshment Break

Hemorrhoids Coding: Avoid the Confusion With These Easy-To-Follow Expert Steps

We'll discuss the various methods of hemorrhoid treatment (banding, excision, sclerotherapy, etc.), as well as how to distinguish "internal," "external" and "mixed" hemorrhoids, and how these categories influence code selection. You'll also learn how what coding bundles to watch for.

Presenter: Kathleen A. Mueller, RN, CPC, CCS-P, CMSCS, PCS

Continental Breakfast & Exhibits

Unfailing, Expert Tips for Lesion Excision & Repairs Coding

Must-know facts on how (and when) to measure lesions, the importance of margins, and fool-proof ICD-9 coding. We'll also cover wound repairs, including when you should report repairs separately with lesion excision, how to distinguish among the various levels of repair, and why wound size matters.

Presenter: John Bishop, PA-C, CPC

Learn the Ins and Outs of Small and Large Bowel Excision and Resections Coding

Surgeons perform small and large bowel resections routinely, but often use imprecise or confusing terminology in the operative report. When the rectum is involved, the category changes, too. Openings in the abdominal wall such as stomas, colostomies, ileostomies and other openings also add complexity when billing these procedures. We'll give you the facts you need to report these procedures with confidence, claim after claim.

Presenter: Kathleen A. Mueller, RN, CPC, CCS-P, CMSCS, PCS

Option #1:
Solidify Your Breast Surgery Coding With Tips for Excision, Biopsy, Mastectomy, Lumpectomy, & More!

Breast procedures can be tricky, especially because terminology can often mislead you and result in incorrect code selection. Get the facts on what to look for when scanning the operative report, the crucial question you'll need to ask to determine if the surgeon performed a partial mastectomy or a less-extensive excision, and when to report biopsy procedures separately.

Presenter: Marcella Bucknam, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CPC-P, COC-OBGYN, CPC-CARDIO

Option #2:
Are Consultations Slowing Down Your Performance? Gain Full Speed Again With Road-Tested Expert Tips

Transfer of care sends a shiver down every coders and physicians' spine. Stop living in fear and start recouping the added money your due with these tips on distinguishing a consult from an office or hospital visit. Bonus: Get the signs you need to spot to code these higher-paying services.

Presenter: Jill M. Young, CPC, CPC-ED, CPC-IM

General Surgery Op Notes: Important Tactics You Can Put Into Practice Immediately

You look at operative reports all day long, but are you sure you’re capturing all your surgeon’s work. Make sure with this expert session that will show you exactly what you should be looking for as you dissect your op notes to capture every procedure your physician performs.

Presenter: Kathleen A. Mueller, RN, CPC, CCS-P, CMSCS, PCS

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