Step-by-Step Medical Coding takes a practical approach to training students for a career in medical coding. It begins with an introduction to Current Procedural Terminology (CPT), followed by in-depth explanations of the sections found in the CPT manual. Several chapters, organized to follow the CPT codes by body system, introduce various procedures and demonstrate how to code each one. Practice exercises following each step of information and at the end of each unit reinforce important concepts and allow users to check their comprehension. Unit 2 covers the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD 9-CM), and Unit 3 offers information about third party reimbursement. An appendix provides the official ICD-9-CM guidelines for coding and reporting.
Carol J. Buck has a Master's degree in Education, as well as CPC-I, CCS-P, CPC, and CPC-H national certifications. For 20 years she served as the Program Director of the Medical Secretarial programs at the Northwest Technical College in Minnesota. She developed diploma and associate programs in medical coding. Now retired, Carol spends her time writing texts related to medical coding, certification, specialization, and reference manuals, which are known as the Step Series.