Enroll in Medical Coding

Roots Prefixes and Suffixes

Learn how medical terms are assembled from word roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Practice breaking down unfamiliar terms into meaningful parts.

Combining Forms and Word Building

Explore combining vowels and combining forms to construct and decode medical terms. Build terms from definitions and define terms from their parts.

Pronunciation and Spelling Rules

Cover pronunciation conventions and spelling patterns including Greek and Latin origins. Understand how plurals and silent letters affect term recognition.

Common Medical Abbreviations

Review frequently used abbreviations found in charts and physician notes. Identify risky or discouraged abbreviations and learn why they cause errors.

Directional and Positional Terms

Study anatomical position, planes, and directional terms such as proximal, distal, anterior, and posterior. Apply them to describe locations in procedure notes.

Cells Tissues and Organs

Understand the levels of body organization from cells to organ systems. Connect tissue types to common diagnostic terms.

Body Cavities and Regions

Identify major body cavities and abdominal regions and quadrants. Use this knowledge to interpret location details in clinical notes.

Skin Structure and Function

Learn the layers of the skin and its accessory structures such as hair, nails, and glands. Review the functions that matter in clinical documentation.

Common Skin Disorders and Lesions

Study terminology for lesions, infections, dermatitis, and inflammatory skin conditions. Practice recognizing descriptive language in dermatology notes.

Burns Wounds and Skin Procedures

Examine burn classifications, wound types, and common procedures such as excisions and repairs. Learn what details affect later code selection.

Bones and the Skeletal Framework

Learn major bones, bone structure, and landmarks. Practice naming bones accurately as they appear in radiology and surgical reports.

Joints and Articulations

Study joint types, movements, and supporting structures such as ligaments and cartilage. Link joint terms to common diagnoses.

Muscles Tendons and Movement

Review major muscle groups and how tendons connect muscle to bone. Understand terms describing muscle actions and strains.

Fractures and Dislocations

Differentiate fracture types, healing stages, and dislocation terminology. Recognize details like open versus closed and displaced versus nondisplaced.

Arthritis and Degenerative Conditions

Cover osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, and related conditions. Learn the vocabulary used to describe chronic musculoskeletal disease.

Heart Anatomy and Blood Flow

Trace blood flow through the chambers, valves, and major vessels of the heart. Learn the terms used in cardiology reports.

Blood Vessels and Circulation

Distinguish arteries, veins, and capillaries and understand systemic and pulmonary circulation. Review vascular conditions such as aneurysm and varicose veins.

Cardiac Diseases and Diagnostics

Study hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias. Interpret terms from ECGs, echocardiograms, and stress tests.

Respiratory Anatomy and Breathing Mechanics

Learn the structures of the upper and lower airways and how ventilation and gas exchange work. Connect anatomy to documentation of breathing problems.

Respiratory Conditions and Treatments

Cover asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and respiratory failure along with oxygen therapy and ventilation support. Practice recognizing severity and acuity language.

Digestive Tract Anatomy

Follow the path of food from mouth to anus and identify each organ's role. Learn accessory organs such as the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.

Gastrointestinal Disorders and Procedures

Study reflux, ulcers, colitis, hernias, and liver disease along with endoscopy and colectomy. Practice reading GI procedure descriptions.

Urinary System Anatomy and Disorders

Review kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra and conditions such as infections, stones, and kidney failure. Learn related lab and imaging terms.

Male and Female Reproductive Anatomy

Identify structures of the male and female reproductive systems and their functions. Learn the vocabulary used in gynecology and urology notes.

Pregnancy Childbirth and Newborn Terms

Cover prenatal, delivery, and postpartum terminology including trimesters and common complications. Understand basic newborn documentation.

Brain Spinal Cord and Nerves

Learn the divisions of the nervous system and major brain regions. Understand terms for cranial nerves, reflexes, and neural pathways.

Neurological Disorders and Diagnostics

Study stroke, epilepsy, dementia, and neuropathy along with CT, MRI, and EEG testing. Practice interpreting neurology report language.

Endocrine Glands and Hormones

Review major glands, the hormones they produce, and their effects on the body. Connect hormone terms to common clinical findings.

Diabetes and Endocrine Conditions

Cover diabetes types, thyroid disorders, and adrenal conditions with related lab values. Learn documentation details that signal complications.

Anatomy of a Medical Record

Explore the parts of a medical record including history and physical, progress notes, operative reports, and discharge summaries. Learn where coding-relevant details are found.

Purpose and History of ICD-10-CM

Explore why diagnosis coding exists and how ICD evolved from ICD-9 to ICD-10-CM. Understand its role in billing, statistics, and public health.

Code Structure and Characters

Break down the three to seven character alphanumeric format of ICD-10-CM codes. Practice identifying categories, subcategories, and extensions.

Chapters and Code Ranges

Survey the 21 chapters of the Tabular List and the body systems or conditions each covers. Learn to predict where a diagnosis will be found.

Placeholder X and Laterality

Learn how the placeholder character X and laterality characters function within codes. Apply them to right, left, and bilateral conditions.

Official Code Sets and Updates

Understand how CMS and NCHS maintain the code set and publish annual updates. Practice locating the current fiscal year files.

Index Organization and Main Terms

Learn how the Alphabetic Index is organized by main terms and subterms. Practice selecting the right main term from a diagnostic statement.

Table of Drugs and Chemicals

Use the Table of Drugs and Chemicals to find poisoning, adverse effect, and underdosing codes. Distinguish each column's meaning.

Table of Neoplasms

Navigate the Neoplasm Table to select codes by behavior and anatomical site. Understand malignant, in situ, benign, and uncertain behavior.

External Cause Index

Use the External Cause Index to locate codes describing how an injury occurred. Learn when external cause codes add value.

Verifying Codes in the Tabular List

Always confirm index selections in the Tabular List by reading instructional notes and code requirements. Practice catching incomplete codes.

Abbreviations Punctuation and Symbols

Interpret NEC, NOS, brackets, parentheses, and colons used throughout the code set. Apply them to real index entries.

Excludes1 and Excludes2 Notes

Differentiate the two Excludes note types and when codes may be reported together. Practice resolving conflicts in code selection.

Includes Inclusion and Exclusion Terms

Understand how Includes notes and inclusion terms expand a category. Use them to confirm the best code fit.

Code First and Use Additional Code

Apply sequencing instructions such as Code first, Use additional code, and Code also. Build correct multi-code combinations.

Unspecified Codes and Specificity

Learn when unspecified codes are acceptable and when documentation should be clarified. Practice coding to the highest level of specificity.

Infectious and Parasitic Diseases

Code common infections including sepsis, HIV, and viral hepatitis using chapter-specific guidelines. Practice sequencing for sepsis cases.

Neoplasm Coding Guidelines

Apply guidelines for primary, secondary, and metastatic neoplasms and for history of malignancy. Sequence codes for treatment encounters.

Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders

Code diabetes mellitus with its many complications and use additional codes for insulin and drug use. Cover obesity and BMI coding.

Circulatory System Conditions

Code hypertension, heart failure, ischemic heart disease, and myocardial infarction. Apply hypertension combination rules with heart and kidney disease.

Respiratory System Conditions

Code asthma, COPD, pneumonia, and respiratory failure with attention to acuity and cause. Practice using Use additional code notes.

Injuries and Seventh Character Extensions

Code fractures, wounds, and burns using seventh characters for initial, subsequent, and sequela encounters. Choose the correct extension for each visit.

Poisoning Adverse Effects and Underdosing

Distinguish poisoning from adverse effects and underdosing and sequence each correctly. Use the drug table to support selection.

Pregnancy Childbirth and the Puerperium

Apply obstetric guidelines including trimester assignment and the priority of Chapter 15 codes. Code common complications and delivery encounters.

Mental Behavioral and Substance Use Disorders

Code depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders with attention to severity and remission. Apply documentation requirements for specificity.

Congenital Conditions and Perinatal Codes

Code congenital anomalies and conditions originating in the perinatal period. Understand when these codes may be used across a patient's lifetime.

Z Codes for Health Status and Encounters

Use Z codes for screenings, vaccinations, history, and status encounters. Learn which Z codes may be principal or secondary.

Social Determinants of Health Coding

Report social determinants such as housing, food insecurity, and employment issues using Z55 to Z65 codes. Understand documentation sources allowed for these codes.

External Cause Place and Activity Codes

Assign external cause, place of occurrence, activity, and status codes to injury encounters. Apply sequencing and reporting rules.

Outpatient vs Inpatient Diagnosis Reporting

Compare principal diagnosis selection in inpatient settings with first-listed diagnosis in outpatient settings. Apply the uncertain diagnosis rule for each.

Documentation Review and Provider Queries

Evaluate clinical documentation for gaps and write compliant provider queries. Practice phrasing non-leading questions.

Purpose and History of CPT

Explore how CPT was developed, who maintains it, and why it is the standard for reporting procedures. Understand its role in billing and reimbursement.

CPT Categories I II and III

Distinguish between the three CPT categories and when each is used. Practice identifying code formats for each category.

Navigating the CPT Manual

Learn the layout of the CPT book including sections, subsections, and appendices. Practice locating codes quickly.

Using the Alphabetic Index

Master main terms, modifying terms, and code ranges in the index. Learn to verify index results in the tabular section.

CPT Symbols and Conventions

Interpret symbols such as the bullet, triangle, plus sign, and lightning bolt. Understand semicolons and parenthetical notes.

E/M Categories and Settings

Review office, hospital, emergency, and consultation code families. Match encounter types to the correct category.

New vs Established Patients

Apply the three-year rule and professional service definitions. Resolve common patient status scenarios.

Medical Decision Making

Score problems addressed, data reviewed, and risk of management. Determine the MDM level from documentation.

Time-Based E/M Coding

Learn when total time on the date of the encounter determines the level. Understand what activities count toward time.

Prolonged and Add-On Services

Apply add-on codes for prolonged services and other supplemental work. Learn the rules for reporting them correctly.

Surgical Package and Global Periods

Understand what is included in a surgical package and how 0, 10, and 90 day global periods work. Identify separately billable services.

Integumentary System Procedures

Code lesion excisions, repairs, debridement, and biopsies. Measure and document wound length and lesion size correctly.

Musculoskeletal Procedures

Code fracture care, arthroscopy, and joint procedures. Distinguish open, closed, and percutaneous treatment.

Cardiovascular Procedures

Work through catheterizations, stent placement, and vascular access coding. Apply family-of-codes logic.

Digestive and Urinary Procedures

Code endoscopies, hernia repairs, and urologic procedures. Apply the rule of coding to the deepest extent reached.

Anesthesia Coding Basics

Learn anesthesia code structure, base units, and physical status modifiers. Understand how anesthesia time is reported.

Anesthesia Add-Ons and Qualifying Circumstances

Apply qualifying circumstance codes and add-ons for complex cases. Practice calculating anesthesia payment elements.

Radiology Coding and Components

Code diagnostic imaging, interventional radiology, and nuclear medicine. Separate professional and technical components.

Pathology and Laboratory Coding

Code lab panels, individual tests, and pathology services. Avoid unbundling of organ and disease panels.

Medicine Section Services

Code immunizations, therapeutic injections, cardiology diagnostics, and physical medicine. Apply administration and product code pairings.

HCPCS Structure and Purpose

Understand the alphanumeric format and the role of CMS in maintaining Level II codes. Compare HCPCS with CPT.

Durable Medical Equipment Coding

Code wheelchairs, oxygen equipment, and prosthetics. Apply rental versus purchase indicators.

Drugs and J Codes

Select J codes for injectable and infused drugs. Calculate billing units from dosage and package size.

Supplies Transport and Temporary Codes

Report ambulance services, medical supplies, and temporary G, K, and Q codes. Recognize when temporary codes apply.

HCPCS Modifiers

Apply Level II modifiers for laterality, anatomical sites, and drug waste. Combine them with CPT modifiers correctly.

Core CPT Modifiers

Apply commonly used modifiers such as 25, 59, 50, and 76. Understand the documentation that supports each one.

Multiple Procedure and Reduced Service Modifiers

Report multiple procedures and reduced or discontinued services. Determine payment impact of each modifier.

NCCI Edits and Bundling Rules

Use National Correct Coding Initiative edits to detect bundled codes. Resolve edit conflicts appropriately.

Medical Necessity and Linking Diagnoses

Link ICD-10-CM codes to procedures to support medical necessity. Review payer policies that affect approval.

Compliance Audits and Denial Management

Analyze denial reasons and prepare appeals with supporting documentation. Learn the basics of compliance auditing.

Overview of the Revenue Cycle

Walk through every stage from scheduling to final payment and see where coders add value. Learners map a patient encounter to its financial journey.

Patient Registration and Demographics

Examine how accurate demographic capture prevents downstream claim rejections. Practice spotting common registration errors.

Insurance Verification and Eligibility

Learn how to confirm coverage, benefits, copays and deductibles before services are rendered. Practice using eligibility response data.

Prior Authorization and Referrals

Understand when authorizations and referrals are required and how missing ones cause denials. Learners build an authorization tracking checklist.

Charge Capture and Charge Description Master

Explore how services become billable charges and how the chargemaster links to codes. Identify missed charges and mismatches.

Government Payers: Medicare and Medicaid

Compare coverage rules, enrollment and billing requirements of major government programs. Review key differences in Medicare Parts A, B, C and D.

Commercial Payers and Managed Care

Study HMO, PPO and EPO structures and how networks affect billing. Learners compare in-network and out-of-network outcomes.

Fee-for-Service and Fee Schedules

Learn how allowed amounts are set and how contractual adjustments are calculated. Practice computing expected reimbursement.

Prospective Payment Systems and DRGs

Understand inpatient payment through MS-DRGs and outpatient payment through APCs. See how code selection shifts payment groups.

Value-Based Care and Risk Adjustment

Explore quality programs and HCC risk adjustment and why diagnosis specificity matters. Review how documentation drives risk scores.

CMS-1500 Claim Form Walkthrough

Break down each field of the professional claim form and its coding requirements. Learners complete a form from a sample encounter.

UB-04 Claim Form and Facility Billing

Learn the institutional claim layout including revenue codes, type of bill and occurrence codes. Practice reading a facility claim.

HIPAA 837 Electronic Transactions

Understand the structure of the 837P and 837I electronic claim files. Review loops and segments at a practical level.

Clearinghouses and Claim Scrubbing

See how clearinghouses edit claims before they reach payers. Learners interpret scrubber alerts and correct them.

Modifiers and Place of Service on Claims

Apply modifiers and place of service codes correctly at claim level. Study how errors alter payment.

Reading Explanation of Benefits and Remittance Advice

Decode EOB and ERA documents including adjustment and remark codes. Practice matching payments to claim lines.

CARC and RARC Codes

Study claim adjustment reason codes and remittance advice remark codes and what each implies for action. Learners categorize codes by next step.

Payment Posting and Reconciliation

Post payments, adjustments and patient responsibility accurately and reconcile deposits. Identify posting errors.

Patient Responsibility and Statements

Handle copays, coinsurance and deductibles through clear patient billing. Explore payment plans and communication etiquette.

Accounts Receivable Aging Analysis

Read aging reports and prioritize accounts by age and value. Practice setting follow-up priorities.

Types and Causes of Denials

Distinguish rejections from denials and soft from hard denials. Identify the most frequent root causes.

Coding Related Denials

Resolve denials from medical necessity mismatches, bundling and invalid code combinations. Practice correcting and resubmitting claims.

Writing Effective Appeal Letters

Structure appeals with clinical evidence, policy references and clear requests. Learners draft a complete appeal.

Appeal Levels and Deadlines

Navigate first level, second level and external review processes with payer timelines. Build an appeals tracker.

Denial Analytics and Trend Reporting

Use denial rates and reason data to find patterns and recommend fixes. Practice building simple dashboards.

HIPAA Privacy and Security for Coders

Apply privacy and security rules to everyday coding and billing work. Review minimum necessary and safe handling of PHI.

Fraud Waste and Abuse

Recognize upcoding, unbundling and false claims and their legal consequences. Review the False Claims Act and OIG guidance.

Medical Necessity and LCD NCD Policies

Use local and national coverage determinations to support billed services. Practice checking policy before submission.

Internal Coding Audits

Plan and conduct sample-based audits and calculate accuracy rates. Learners score a set of coded charts.

External Audits RAC and Payer Reviews

Understand RAC, MAC and payer audit processes and how to respond to records requests. Prepare documentation packages.

Purpose and Types of Coding Audits

Explore why audits exist and compare prospective, retrospective, internal and external audits. Learn where each type fits in the revenue cycle.

Audit Planning and Scope Definition

Learn to define audit objectives, select record types and set review periods. Practice building a simple audit work plan.

Sampling Methods and Sample Size

Understand random, stratified and targeted sampling approaches. Calculate sample sizes for provider and facility audits.

Chart Review Techniques

Walk through systematic methods for reviewing clinical records against assigned codes. Apply checklists to sample charts.

Accuracy Rates and Error Categorization

Learn to calculate coding accuracy percentages and classify errors such as overcoding, undercoding and missed codes. Interpret benchmarks used in industry.

Documentation Requirements for Code Support

Identify what makes documentation sufficient to support diagnoses and procedures. Review examples of strong and weak notes.

Clinical Validation of Diagnoses

Learn how to question whether a documented diagnosis is clinically supported by indicators. Practice with common cases such as sepsis and malnutrition.

Physician Query Practices

Write compliant, non-leading queries that clarify unclear documentation. Study ACDIS and AHIMA query guidelines.

E/M Documentation Auditing

Audit evaluation and management services using medical decision making and time criteria. Spot common level selection errors.

Copy-Paste, Templates and EHR Risks

Examine cloned notes and template overuse and how they create audit exposure. Learn red flags for auditors.

HIPAA Privacy and Security for Coders

Review protected health information rules and the minimum necessary standard. Apply them to daily coding and remote work scenarios.

False Claims Act and Fraud Statutes

Understand the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law. Discuss real enforcement cases involving coding.

Fraud, Waste and Abuse Identification

Differentiate fraud, waste and abuse and recognize common billing patterns that trigger concern. Practice reporting pathways.

OIG Work Plan and Compliance Program Elements

Study the seven elements of an effective compliance program and how the OIG Work Plan guides focus areas.

Medicare and Medicaid Audit Programs

Learn how RAC, MAC, CERT and UPIC programs operate. Understand the appeal process after adverse findings.

HCC and Risk Adjustment Fundamentals

Learn how hierarchical condition categories drive Medicare Advantage payments. Understand RAF scores and their dependence on accurate diagnosis coding.

RADV Audits and Documentation Defense

Study risk adjustment data validation audits and how records must support submitted HCCs. Practice validating chronic conditions.

Inpatient DRG Validation

Audit MS-DRG assignment including principal diagnosis selection and CC or MCC capture. Identify common DRG shift causes.

Outpatient and APC Auditing

Review outpatient claims for correct modifiers, status indicators and bundling edits. Practice with facility examples.

Surgical and Procedural Coding Audits

Audit operative reports for CPT accuracy, global periods and NCCI edits. Spot unbundling and missed modifiers.

Root Cause Analysis of Coding Errors

Use structured methods to trace errors to documentation, education or system causes. Build a simple fishbone diagram.

Corrective Action Plans

Draft corrective action plans with owners, deadlines and success measures. Learn how to follow up on progress.

Overpayments and the 60-Day Rule

Understand obligations to report and refund overpayments. Walk through the steps from discovery to repayment.

Audit Reporting and Dashboards

Create clear audit reports and trend dashboards for leaders. Practice summarizing findings with visuals.

Coding Education and Continuous Monitoring

Design ongoing education and monitoring cycles to keep error rates low. Explore peer review and coder scorecards.

Certification Pathways: CPC, CCS and CCA

Compare AAPC and AHIMA credentials, eligibility and exam formats. Choose a path that fits career goals.

Exam Strategy and Guideline Navigation

Learn how to use code books efficiently, tab key sections and manage time. Practice quick guideline lookups.

Practice Exam: Diagnosis and Procedure Coding

Complete a timed practice section covering ICD-10-CM and CPT questions. Review answers with rationales.

Practice Exam: Compliance, Terminology and Anatomy

Complete a timed section on regulations, medical terminology and anatomy. Identify weak areas for targeted review.

Capstone Audit Case Study

Perform a full mock audit on a set of charts, calculate accuracy, and present findings and recommendations.