Advanced Coding Education

Date: October 25-27 & November 1-3, 2023

Time: 5:30 AM - 7:30 AM

Location: Webinar
*Recording Availabile*

Registration: Online | Download Registration Form

Looking for an innovative way to prepare your staff to become certified coders or enhance certified coder’s education? The Advanced Coding Education Webinar Series has been specially developed to help staff continue to improve their coding skills while working remotely. While this intense series is designed for the motivated student who wants to pursue coding certification, it is also appropriate for the clinician looking to enhance their coding understanding and accuracy. Continue to master ICD-10-CM by utilizing critical thinking skills with this fast-paced class designed for the person who is experienced in coding. Test Your Knowledge scenarios will be presented, and time will be provided for participants to code and gain more proficiency. Accurate coding under PDGM requires an increased skill set and knowledge of ICD-10 coding guidelines and conventions.

This advanced program provides a comprehensive overview of home health & hospice coding. This 3‐part webinar series (120 minutes each) is a live series and will include Test Your Knowledge cases and will allow time for questions from the audience. However, if you are unable to attend a session or need to review again, the recordings are available for 2 weeks after the live presentation.

This course also offers the opportunity to become a certified coder, ACE, through JLU Health Record Systems. What Does Certification Mean? Certification represents achievement of a standard of knowledge recommended by the American Health Information Management Association. A certified coding staff will assist your agency in meeting the necessary standards to assure reliability when coding.

Four major areas are covered in the course & examination:

1. Code structure & Conventions
2. Coding Guidelines
3. Primary & Other Diagnoses
4. Chapter Specific – Diagnostic Information (Including many Test Your Knowledge cases)

Level: Intermediate/Advanced – for staff with at least 1 years’ experience in coding or experienced coders.

Course Structure:

Session 1 of 6

• In-depth review of Official Guidelines for Coding & Reporting including code structure and conventions
• Review Diagnostic Chapters Coding Guidelines & Common Diagnoses
  • Certain Infectious & Parasitic Diseases
    • Including changes to C-diff, MSRA, VRE, severe sepsis
  • Neoplasm Coding
    • Using the neoplasm table acceptably
    • Current malignancy versus a personal history
    • Adverse effects of chemotherapy
• Practice situational coding exercises, Test Your Knowledge, which includes identification of clinical grouping and comorbidity adjustment

Session 2 of 6

• Review of Diagnostic Chapters
  • Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases
    • Understanding the nuances of “type’, “with” and “NEC’ convention
    • When to code secondary diabetes
    • Diabetic complication sequencing
  • Mental, Behavioral & Neurodevelopmental Disorders
    • Dementia & Delirium
    • Depression, anxiety, specific BH diagnoses

Session 3 of 6

• Practice situational coding exercises, Test Your Knowledge, which includes identification of clinical grouping and comorbidity adjustment
  • Diseases of the Nervous System
    • Review of Alzheimer’s coding, other common neuro diagnoses
  • Diseases of the Circulatory System
    • Sequelae of cerebral infarctions, specificity for types of heart failure & heart disease, Hypertensive disease
  • Practice situational coding exercises, Test Your Knowledge, which includes identification of clinical grouping and comorbidity adjustment

Session 4 of 6

• Review of Diagnostic Chapters
  • Diseases of the Respiratory System
    • Including proper coding of COPD, emphysema, and asthma
  • COVID Coding & Vaping Coding
  • Diseases of the Digestive System
    • Discussion of specificity, aftercare, and complications
    • Review of correct ostomy coding
  • Diseases of the Skin & Subcutaneous Tissue ▪ Correct coding of ulcers: pressure, DTI, non-pressure, and stasis
• Practice situational coding exercises, Test Your Knowledge, which includes identification of clinical grouping and comorbidity adjustment

Session 5 of 6

• Diseases of the Skin & Subcutaneous Tissue
  • Correct coding of ulcers: pressure, DTI, non-pressure, and stasis
• Diseases of Musculoskeletal System & Connective tissue
  • Coding arthritis types which impact case mix
  • Fracture coding for pathological and traumatic fractures
  • Fractures with joint replacements including complications
• Diseases of the Genitourinary System
  • CKD stages, hypertensive disease
• Symptoms, Signs & Abnormal Clinical and Laboratory Findings Not Elsewhere Classified
  • When to utilize Signs & Symptom coding
• Practice situational coding exercises, Test Your Knowledge, which includes identification of clinical grouping and comorbidity adjustment

Series 6 of 6

• Review of Diagnostic Chapters
  • Injury, Poisoning and Certain Other Consequences of External Causes Coding
    • Coding traumatic and surgical wounds
    • Utilizing 7th character “A” versus “D”
    • Wound complications: dehiscence, post-op wound infection, non-healing surgical wound, cellulitis
    • Traumatic fracture coding
  • Factors Influencing Health Status & Contact with Health Services ▪ Aftercare Coding Best Practice
  • Codes for Special Purposes: Vaping disorder, COVID-19 Coding
• Practice situational coding exercises, Test Your Knowledge, which includes identification of clinical grouping and comorbidity adjustment

Examination - Coding Certification

What Does Certification Mean? Certification represents achievement of a standard of knowledge recommended by the American Health Information Management Association. A certified coding staff will assist your agency in meeting the necessary standards to assure reliability when coding. The ACE certification is valid for 3 years.

Four major areas are covered:

1. Code structure & Conventions
2. Coding Guidelines
3. Primary & Other Diagnoses
4. Chapter Specific – Diagnostic Information (Including many Test Your Knowledge cases)

Target Audience: This class is designed for anyone who would like advanced knowledge in coding and validation of their proficiency. Participants should have an experience with coding. Participants will be required to have a current ICD-10-CM manual to access for the webinars. Agencies need certified coders for accuracy with PDGM.

An ACE Specialist is a coding professional that understands the nuances of home health or hospice. People with ACE certification work at home health agencies and hospices as coders, QAPI specialists, and Compliance experts. For coders in other industries, the ACE certification is demonstrating to the employer your understanding of post-acute care. Post-acute care coding is different than acute care coding or physician office coding and will be more in demand in the future.

Goal of the exam: Our goal is to test your knowledge of practical scenarios that a coder would see as a home health and hospice professional. The idea is to enhance the coder’s knowledge which will improve the day-to-day coding function.

Scoring: Participants not attaining a passing grade are given a one-time opportunity to take the examination again, free of charge, within 3 months of the original examination date. Exams are administered on online. The certification is valid for three years.

Examination: ACE-10 Certification is offered as online option - monthly. Cost $199 per person.

Exam information and registration are booked directly through JLU Health Record Systems. www.jluhealth.com Events Tab. ACE-10 Certification demonstrates for participant & employers a proficiency in home health & hospice coding.

Participants will need to have their ICD-10-CM manuals for class.

Instructor:Joan L. Usher, BS, RHIA, HCS-D, ACE-HH, ACE-H, President, JLU Health Record Systems is a nationally recognized expert in record management. She has a degree in Health Information Management and has been a home health and hospice consultant for over 35 years. Joan is past president of the Massachusetts Health Information Management Association (MaHIMA) and has served as a delegate for American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). She received the Distinguished Member award from MaHIMA in 2017 and the Professional Achievement Award in 2008. Joan is a published author with book topics such as ICD-10-CM Coding, Billing, Clinical Documentation Improvement and contributing author to the Massachusetts Medicolegal Guide. Usher is a current Board of Director of Hospice & Palliative Care of MA and a past Board of Director of the Home Care Alliance of MA. Joan's webinars consistently earn outstanding reviews from participants.

WHAT'S A WEBINAR?
Enjoy the convenience and cost-efficiency of a webinar – watch the speaker’s slide presentation on the internet while listening by telephone or through your computer’s microphone and speakers (VoIP). The cost of this education is per person.

Prior to the webinar, a Zoom Webinar link will be e-mailed to you. You will need to click on this link to access the webinar, a dial-in number and an access code to listen in via telephone. You will also be sent any pertinent handouts if available and evaluation link.

QUESTIONS?
Please contact Brandy Sweet at [email protected] with questions. 

Registration Fee: OAHC Members:  $499 per agency; Non-Members:  $699 per agency. 

Oregon Association for Home Care 417 2nd St. Ste. 101 Lake Oswego, OR 97034