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For those who passed the CCS exam on the first try.... - what books did you use

Posted: Aug 28, 2014

I just received word from my tribe they are assisting me in paying for this exam. So, it is imperitive that I pass this test. I graduated Andrews about a year ago and because I just couldn't afford to take the exams, I didn't becomes certified. I do know it would probably be best to sit for the CPC first, but I am a person who would rather do the hardest first and since my tribe will help, this is the direction I have decided to go.

I am worried since I have not worked in a hospital or any clinical setting this may harm my chances of employment later, so I am wondering for those of you who are sort of in the same boat of not having any hospital or clinical expeience and no real coding experience except for your education, what did you use to study in order to pass it.

I have the Faye Brown 2012 ICD-9-CM and will be using this to study.

Thank you so much in advance for any and all advice.

--PS

Use the Andrews course books. - You are missing an important point.

[ In Reply To ..]
Use the Andrews course books. That is why they gave them to you.

You need the CPT text as well. The CCS covers everything, not just inpatient.

I think you missed the point about taking the CPC first. We did not recommend taking it because it is easier, but because there is something you need to learn from it.

Sometimes, doing things the hard way isn't smart. You asked for advice--that's mine.

I never said it was easier. . - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I never said the CPC exam was easiest. This is the one they are paying for. I cannot afford to pay for the other one yet, so I came here asking for some advice on anything extra that I might want to consider using in order to pass this test. I understand the CPC is good preparation and if failing the first time there is a free retake.

As for my Andrews' books, some of them are older; hence, another reason I was asking for advice on books.

I didn't ask you if I thought I was "smart" for doing this one first, I merely asked for opinions on study guides. Implying someone isn't smart because they chose to do something the opposite of what everyone else does, is judging someone, not an opinion.

However, thank you on your input on what it covers and the use of the CPT as well.

Re-read your post - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
You said you would rather do the hardest one first. If the CCS is harder, the CPC is easier.

Personally, I would rather my tribe didn't waste their money on me. To me, it is much better to take the test you are nearly guaranteed to pass than to blow your one chance and all your dough on the one that has about a 60% failure rate.

Especially when you have been out of school that long and have never coded one single thing.

CCS - kt16

[ In Reply To ..]
get the CCS prep book and study it religiously - look up all the references to the answers. Talk to inpatient coders if you can..

My advice - me

[ In Reply To ..]
I passed it on the first try, just barely. Study your books as best you can. I felt good about my ability to code so I studied a lot of noncoding things that would be on the exam. The test was very hard and I thought for sure I failed because I took so long answering a few questions, I didn't get to a lot of the cases. So my advice is to not quit no matter how slow you go, even if you think you failed, keep going, you might just pass like I did. Good luck and don't let anyone get you down, do what's best for you.

Thank you all for the advice! - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you all for your advice! I appreciate you taking the time to respond. I will come back and let you all know how I did, pass or fail. I hope it's a pass though. :)

Clinical Coding Workout - worked for me

[ In Reply To ..]
It has the cases to code, the answers with rationale so you can see why. Also, use the coding guidelines, read the coding guidelines and practice what they say in coding examples. Good Luck! I'm also an Andrews grad and took the CCS first. Dig in, practice, and go for it! Yes, I agree with the above post, do not stop if you get stressed out. Just keep going. Get that principal diagnosis and principal procedure in there and keep steady on.

just out of curiosity, how much is it to take CPC or CCS? - trainee

[ In Reply To ..]
I am training through my company. I only have to become certified if I want a bump in pay. Just wondering how much it is to test for either one.

Costs - Just me

[ In Reply To ..]
For the CCS if you are a member it is 299. If nonmember it's 399. You don't have to be an AHIMA member to take it.

With the CPC, you have to be an AAPC member and the cost is $325 ($260 AAPC Students) (taken from AAPC website)/ Hope this helps!

More cost - info

[ In Reply To ..]
AAPC membership is 125, or 70 for actively enrolled students (most any course).

AHIMA is 175. However, if you are in an employer OJT situation, it may be impossible to qualify to take an AHIMA exam.

Certification is not optional in coding. Your current employer (sounds like MM) may say it is, but that is because all you would have to do to weasel out of the post-training obligation is to ... oops ... fail the exam. You will not get another job if you are not certified, and that includes promotions and especially remotes.

Even if you plan on taking it later, when you send out resumes employers will assume that it is "later" because you flunked it several times. No kidding. It is really easy to check the exam schedules and figure how many times, and don't think they don't do that. Delay is a sign that a coder has issues.

It is just understood by coders, or should be, that you have to be certified because the employer gets judged on that. It isn't just for you. Not getting on board with that looks kind of oppositional, and employers find that worrisome. Also worrisome is test fear and flunking, both of which bode poorly for accuracy on the job. Those kinds of things get your application tossed.

Yeah, it is expensive, but it is part of preparation for a new career. Check the tax effects of that. We have to maintain credentials. No way around it.

A lot of MTs think credentialing is a crock because it was not valued in MT. That is not the case in coding.

More costs - My 2 cents

[ In Reply To ..]
Cost is a legitimate issue when taking exams. If a person is on unemployment or not working and going to school, it's actually a huge deal. The CPC is offered several times a year but not in every city. For some people that involves travel out of town, sometimes it requires an overnight stay, which is an additional expense, something that some people can't afford. Where I work (large ambulatory care facility) certification is an option; most people do it because they want more pay, however. If someone's current employer assumes that they don't want to take the exam because they flunked several times, all the employer has to do is ask the employee why, instead of making false assumptions and checking the exam schedules, I guess some people enjoy workplace drama. Generally a candidate knows when they are ready to test. If employers made certification mandatory and did not give employees a choice, people would get on board and go for it.

Some comments on that - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
The post above was not talking about what someone's current employer might think. Your current employer already knows you, so they are not going to be judging you on the basis of any new applications from you, are they?

It was referring to getting a new job. When employers have only a resume and application to go by, you are going to be judged on your credentials in comparison to others.

OK, so you work in an ambulatory facility. It is just great that they don't care about credentials -- how fortunate for you. Good luck finding a job where they do care, though.

We don't "require" them, but we prefer them, and we also don't happen to hire anyone who does not have them. We think it is an impressively good sign that a coder or anyone in HIM attempted and passed their exam.

If you don't have any credentials, you might not understand why this is such a big deal. Once you have taken and passed, you start looking at it differently. When YOU spent the time and money, and when you pass it without any trouble, and when you pay your dues and keep it up, and especially when you have to demonstrate to outside auditors what credentials your staff have, you will change your opinion. You will see it as something that is not impossible, not prohibitively expensive, and necessary for the facility.

AHIMA-affiliated employers also know that someone's chances of ever getting credentialed drop the longer they go without. Hiring them just about guarantees it, since they don't feel a need to do it anymore. If you are a hospital and trying to satisfy CMS's recommendation that you use certified coders, hiring uncredentialed "coders" who have unverified skills and unknown adherence to ethical standards in coding, and who might never get there, is a problem.

Credentialing is something students need to plan for. And, frankly, if you live in an area with so few medical facilities that it can't support even an AAPC chapter (the chapters give the exams), you have no business studying coding because there won't be enough jobs, either. That's like wanting to be a scuba diver in Wyoming.

I'm an Andrews Grad and passed the CPC and - currently studying for my CCS

[ In Reply To ..]
Is what I did first is to update and save some money is update all my books to 2012 and rented them out.I did 2013 b/c you can still use that year in 2014 CCS/CPC. I also got the Brown book with answers and Coding Workout with answers also - all rented out.

For my CPC which was recommended 1st. I took the Coding blitz videos by Laureen, and bubbled highlighted my CPC book among others. Very helpful!

Rent out or buy the AAPC's study guide and learn that. Also take the 3 practive exams and learn to take and pass test within alloted time frame.

ONce that's done I highly recommend CCS. Otherwise rent out CPC 2012, ICD9 2012, COding WOrkout 2012, Faye Brown 2012, PRG 2013, and Ahimas CCS study guide 2013

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