Certified Coder Boot Camp® - Inpatient Version
Questions/Answers
What is the focus
of the course?
The Certified Coder Boot Camp - Inpatient Version focuses on ICD-9-CM Diagnosis (Volumes 1 and 2) and Procedure (Volume 3) Coding for Inpatient Hospital (i.e., Facility) Services. The course emphasizes inpatient coding guidelines, abstracting inpatient medical records and DRG ("Diagnosis Related Grouping") assignment.
Does HCPro offer any other versions of the course?
Yes. In addition to the Certified Coder Boot Camp - Inpatient Version, we offer the Certified Coder Boot Camp - Original Version, an intensive, one-week course focusing on ICD-9-CM, CPT and HCPCS Level II coding for professional services and hospital outpatient services. For more information, click on Certified Coder Boot Camp®
- Original Version.
How long does the course last?
One week. Typically, class runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until at least 5:00 p.m. each day (class often runs later than 5:00 if the students need additional assistance with a particular subject). We try to end class a little early on Friday, typically by 3 p.m.
Where is the
course offered?
Open registration Certified Coder Boot Camps are offered at various locations around the country, typically at mid-priced business hotels such as Hyatt Place or Hilton Garden Inn. For a list of upcoming open registration Certified Coder Boot Camps - Inpatient Version, click on
Course Locations/Dates.
Does HCPro offer
the Certified Coder Boot Camp - Original Version as an "on-site"course?
In addition to our open registration courses, we also offer the Certified Boot Camp - Inpatient Version as an "on-site" course (with a substantial discount) for organizations that have 20 to 26 employees who need inpatient coding training. For more information on hosting an on-site course, click on
Host an On-Site Course.
What if I
need to cancel or transfer my registration?
Cancellation Policy:
- All cancellations must be made in writing.
- Cancellations received within 3 days of the date HCPro, Inc. receives the
registration are eligible for a full refund.
- Written
cancellations received between 4 days after the date HCPro, Inc. receives
the registration and 15 days prior to first day of class are eligible for a
refund, less a $200 cancellation fee.
- Written
cancellations received 14 days prior to the first day of class are not
eligible for a refund, but are eligible for payment transfer (credit) to
another Certified Coder Boot Camp® or Medicare Boot Camp® (less a $200 transfer fee). The credit is
valid for up to 12 months from date of the cancelled class.
- Participant(s)
who do not cancel in writing will be considered as "no shows" and will not
be eligible for refunds/credits.
- For Michigan students attending classes in Michigan per Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Refund policy:
-
The tuition and fees paid by the applicant shall be refunded if the applicant is rejected by the school before enrollment. An application fee of not more than $25.00 may be retained by the school if the application is denied.
-
All tuition and fees paid by the applicant shall be refunded if requested within 3 business days after signing a contract with the school.
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The policy shall adhere to the refund policies of applicable state, federal, and accrediting agencies.
-
All refunds shall be returned within 30 days.
This policy is subject to change.
Who should attend the course?
- Coders
- Medical Records/Health Information Managers Staff
- Case Managers
- Quality Assurance Professionals
- Clinical Documentation Specialists
- Clinical Managers and Department
Heads
- Physicians, NPs, PAs and Other
Clinicians
- Compliance Officers and Auditors
- Finance and Reimbursement
Managers/Staff
- Healthcare Consultants, CPAs and
Lawyers
- Health Plan and Insurance Company
Personnel
- Medicare Intermediary Personnel
What material
does the course cover?
Click on
Course Outline for more
information about the topics covered by the Certified Coder Boot Camp -
Inpatient Version.
Does completion of the course lead to any formal certification?
We anticipate that many of the Certified Coder Boot Camp - Inpatient Version course participants will, at some point, sit for the Certified Coding Specialists (CCS) exam offered by the American Health Information Management Association. While the Certified Coder Boot Camp - Inpatient Version should be helpful in preparing for the CCS exam, CCS candidates should be aware that the CCS exam also covers topics other than inpatient coding, notably outpatient CPT coding and Medicare reimbursement. Consequently, CCS candidates will need additional training/preparation beyond the Certified Coder Boot Camp - Inpatient Version. In addition to completing the Certified Coder Boot Camp - Inpatient Version, CCS candidates may want to consider taking our
Certified Coder Boot Camp - Original Version (focuses on CPT coding) and our Medicare Boot Camp - Hospital Version (focuses on Medicare reimbursement for hospital services).
How is the certification exam structured?
See www.ahima.org.
Does
Medicare or any other third-payer require coders to be certified?
We are not aware of any such requirement. To the best of our
knowledge, coding certification, while generally helpful in promoting
accurate coding, is entirely voluntary.
How intense is the course
compared to the more traditional full semester courses?
It is an understatement to say that the course is intense. We are covering a full semester of material in one week. Other than breaks, the course participants are in class from 8 a.m. to at least 5:30 p.m. each day (class often runs later than 5:30 p.m.). Course participants should plan on devoting their full time and attention to the Boot Camp program during the week of their course. Course participants should also plan on taking the entire Boot Camp week off from work. We recommend that Course participants inform their bosses, co-workers and family to treat them as if they are out-of-the-country for the week of the course.
Course participants who live more than 45 minutes away from the course
site should reserve a hotel room for the week.
Does the course require previous coding
experience?
Because of the fast-paced nature of the course, it is Because of the fast-paced nature of the course, it is highly recommended that Certified Coder Boot Camp - Inpatient Version participants have at least one year of coding-related experience. While prior inpatient coding experience is helpful, this course is also designed for individuals with outpatient coding experience (such as CPCs) who are interested in enhancing their coding skills
Also, if you do not already have a solid understanding of medical
terminology, we strongly recommend that you complete a medical terminology
self study course prior to the start of the course. A good self-study program is Medical Terminology for Health Professions, 5th Edition by Ann Ehrlich and Carol L. Schroeder. The ISBN number is 1-40186026-5. The book is available on amazon.com and may also be available from one of your local bookstores. Our students who do not have a strong background in medical terminology typically find this book extremely helpful
How is the course taught?
The course is taught using a combination of lecture, class discussion and abstracting case studies.
Do I need to bring my own coding manuals to class?
You will need a 2008 ICD-9-CM manual (Volumes 1, 2 & 3). To order this book from HCPro, please visit our website at http://www.hcmarketplace.com/prod-5242.html. As a part of this class you will be working numerous in-class exercises based on real-life inpatient medical records. In addition to learning to code these records, you will also learn how to determine the proper DRG assignment for each case. In order to work the DRG assignment portion of the exercises, you will need to bring a current version of the DRG Definitions Manual to class.
The official version of the DRG Definitions Manual is published by 3M. If you work in a hospital
you may be able to borrow a 3M DRG Definitions Manual for the week of class from your hospital's
Health information Management/Medical Records department. If you would like to borrow a DRG
Definitions Manual from HCPRO for the class we will have a limited number of manuals available.
Because of the limited number available, course participants who choose to borrow a manual may have to
share with another course participant. The books are signed out for the week of class and must be
returned to the instructor after class on Friday. Anyone who desires to borrow a manual will be
required to provide a credit card number to secure the manual for the week. If the manual is
returned in its original condition the participant will not be charged for its use. If the manual
is lost, damaged or stolen it is the responsibility of the student to reimburse HCPRO for the manual.
An alternative would be to order a copy of the manual from 3M. A link for the 3M manual order form
is below. If you are attending this course with other people from your organization, two or three
people may be able to share a single DRG Manual.
Ingenix also publishes two DRG manuals - the DRG Expert and the DRG Desk Reference. If you are not
able to purchase the 3M manual and already have one of the Ingenix manuals, you can try and use the
Ingenix manual in class to work the exercises. However, you should be aware that the instructor will
be using the 3M manual when she reviews the exercises in class. Also, she may not be able to provide
any special instruction on the use of the Ingenix manuals.
We recognize that most hospitals use a computer program to determine DRG assignment. We also
realize that the 3M DRG manual is expensive. However, we feel strongly that understanding the DRG
system is an important skill for inpatient coders and that the best way to become proficient in DRG
assignment is to work DRG assignment exercises using the hardcopy DRG Definitions Manual.
If you do not already have a current ICD-9-CM manual that contains all three volumes, we recommend the
following Ingenix manual:
Title: ICD-9-CM Expert - Volumes 1, 2 & 3
ISBN Number: 91-56337-703-9
Ingenix Item Number: IHSO6
Does HCPro ever share contact information (e.g., name,
address, phone number, email address, etc.) with other companies?
Historically, we have not shared
contact information with anyone outside of our company. However, it is
possible that at some point we might share contact information with other
companies that offer products and services that we think would be of
interest to our customers. If you would like us to keep your contact
information confidential, please let us know so that we can flag your
information in our customer database as "Do Not Share."
How do I get more information:
Contact Customer Service at (877) 207-4036 or
bootcamps@hcpro.com.
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