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Certified Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Coder (CCVTC™) Credential
The Certified Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Coder (CCVTC™) exam was developed by a team of leading cardio coding professionals. Those coders with sufficient experience and expertise in cardio coding are encouraged to prepare to sit for the CCVTC™ exam.
The CCVTC™ examinee will be tested on:
- Ability to read and abstract physician office notes and operative notes to apply correct ICD-9-CM, CPT, HCPCS Level II and modifier coding assignments
- Evaluation and management (both the 1995 and 1997 Documentation Guidelines)
- Rules and regulations of Medicare billing including (but not limited to) incident to, teaching situations, shared visits, consultations, and global surgery
- Coding of surgical procedures performed by cardiovascular and thoracic surgeons such as cardiopulmonary bypass, PTCA, lung tumor ablation, etc.
- Medical terminology
- Anatomy and physiology
Exam Preparation – CCVTC™ Practicum (Highly Recommended)
The practicum includes 3 hours of audio lectures to discuss trade-specific issues affecting cardio coding, and 3 hours of coding simulation with 75 coding scenarios linked to actual patient notes (matching the format of the actual exam).
- One-hour audio lecture on E/M coding
- One-hour audio lecture on procedure coding (CPT®)
- One-hour audio lecture on diagnosis coding (ICD-9-CM)
- E/M Audit Tool to help with leveling and approved for use during exam (in addition to one printed reference book)
- 75-question practical exercise coding case studies from medical documentation (format mimics the actual exam)
Non-Member Price: $199.95
Member Price: $149.95
Available January 2009
CCVTC™ Exam
Although there are no experience requirements for this exam, please be aware that the exam is comprehensive of the facets of cardio coding to ensure you are truly a master in your specialized field of coding. It is STRONGLY recommended that you complete the online CCVTC™ Practicum (above), which will measure your readiness for the actual exam, before attempting the CCVTC™ exam.
Exam Details:
- 150-questions (virtually identical in format and difficulty to the practical exercise of the practicum)
- 5 ½ hour time limit
- Reviewed by a Cardiothoracic Steering Committee:
- Joline M. Bruder CCVTC™
- Lisa M. Blankenship, CCVTC™
- Lynn Rawlings, CCVTC™, CEMC™, CPC-I®
- Sheri Poe Bernard, CPC®, CPC-H®, CPC-P®
Registration Fee: $245.00 (includes one free retake)
Available January 2009