Q&A books for CPC exam

[Aparna]

Hi,

I will be taking the CPC exam around June and the CCS around October or later this year. I was browsing the AAPC store. I was wondering if I should get the 'Physician bundle 1' (AMA CPT professional, HCPCS II expert, ICD-9-CM expert for physicians) or the 'Hospital bundle 1' (AMA CPT professional, HCPCS II expert, ICD-9-CM expert for hospital).

Can I use books in 'Hospital bundle' for both the exams?
If ICD-10 gets implemented in October, then I will need to buy latest ICD-10 books?

Thank you!
Aparna

 

[Laureen]

Get the hospital bundle - you can use that ICD for both the CPC and CCS. You just won't use vol. 3 of the ICD for the CPC.

Regarding ICD-10 - the CPC exam won't start covering that until Jan. 1st 2015. The CCS exam is different - I'm not sure when that is going to be included on the CCS exam. Verify with AHIMA on that.

Happy studying!

 

[Sarah Scheenstra]

Hi Laureen, I've been looking at your courses & thinking of taking your PBMC course for the CPC. If I take the CPC exam this August, will I still be required to take the ICD-10 exam before January 2016? I'm wondering if it is better to wait until ICD-10 is in full swing? Thanks!

 

[Laureen]

Hi Sarah,

If you test in 2015 you will be tested on ICD-9. If you test in 2016 you will be tested on ICD-10. I don't recommend waiting. Learning both ICD-9 and ICD-10 is valuable. Not all payers are going to ICD-10 right away and coders will still need to do follow up on past cases where ICD-9 was used.

And god forbid ICD-10 could be delayed again - I hate even typing that

Happy studying!