CPC Practice Exam - Medical Coding Study Guide

Sunday, December 25, 2016

The AFQT Portion of the ASVAB Exam - Improve Your AFQT Score



The AFQT portion of the ASVAB Exam is the most important section. Scoring high on this section gets you into the different branches of the military. The minimum score varies by branch. If you want to get into the Coast Guard or Air Force, you need a higher score than you would, for example, the Army. You also need a higher score to qualify if you have a GED instead of a high school diploma.

Make sure you understand the minimum score needed to get in to the branch that you desire. This will help you to determine how much you need to study. If you really want to get into the Coast Guard, you had better plan on spending a lot of time studying for the AFQT.

The AFQT section of the ASVAB consists of four sections - Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematics Knowledge and Arithmetic Reasoning. You should first get a study guide that contains these areas. Next, take a practice test and figure out where you need to focus your studies. The areas where you did not do well will be where you will spend the most time studying. 

The Word Knowledge section tests your knowledge of vocabulary. It is a multiple choice test and will give you a sentence with one highlighted word. You are required to find the word that means the same thing from four possible answers. You should first eliminate the answers that you know are incorrect. Next try to figure out which word best fits the meaning of the sentence. This method will help you to increase your score.

On the Paragraph Comprehension section, you are required to read a short passage and answer the following question(s) related to that passage. This may include what the overall meaning of the passage is, the author's intent, what negates the passage etc. Practicing these types of questions will help you to increase your score on this section. 

The Mathematics Knowledge section of the AFQT Exam tests you on your overall math skills. This includes addition, subtraction, algebra, area, perimeters, distance, etc. It does not include advanced math. This section will give you a math problem and you will have four to five choices to choose from. Scoring high on this section is very important so brushing up what you learned in high school math is a must.

The last section of the AFQT Exam is Arithmetic Reasoning. This section will give you short word problems that you will have to solve. You will need to know the above formulas in order to solve many of these problems. This also includes calculating interest, ratios, calculating a profit, etc. Being able to check your work by plugging in the correct answer will help you to score high on this section of the exam.

As you can see, the AFQT portion of the ASVAB Exam is important to your success in the military. Studying this section will increase your overall ASVAB score and guarantee your success in the military.

If you need to pass the ASVAB Exam, you will need a good study guide to get a high score. Click on the following link for more information: ASVAB Exam Study Guide [http://www.armedforcesexam.com]

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

What Is the Average ASVAB Test Score?



Have you ever wondered how the lean fighting men-in-uniform are chosen for the army? Well, before they engage and survive military training, army recruits must first pass the ASVAB.

So, what is the Average ASVAB Score? The ASVAB, or Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, is series of tests designed by the military and government to assess the person's skills and psychological well-being. A person's ASVAB score aids the military in identifying a person's Military Occupational Specialty (MOS)-that is, whether he should be in the navy, the air force, special ops, etc.

The ASVAB has 200 multiple choice questions about General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Numerical Operations, Auto and Shop Information, Mathematics Knowledge and Mechanical Comprehension. Within 134 minutes, the test taker must not only reach the average on each individual test section, but he/she must also reach certain "cumulative scores"-Verbal, Math and Academic--which describe the over-all proficiency of the test taker.

What is the average ASVAB score needed to be fit for the military? First, a good ASVAB score will ebb and flow, depending on which branch of the military you are focused on. Second, the ASVAB is rated on a percentile basis. Hence, the highest score is 99 while the lowest score is 1. The nationwide and across all branches average ASVAB score is between 42 and 50.

A "genius" rating in the ASVAB is anything near 92 and above. A whopping score of higher than the previously mentioned "blowout" ASVAB scores will help secure access to the best MOS available---special ops, nuclear work for the navy, or work as a Ranger in the army.

It is worth mentioning, however, that the military is not required to place an individual in a specific program on the basis of high school. More often than not, when a branch of the military has a great need in a particular area, they will fill the vacancy in spite of one's MOS capabilities.

Indeed, it is no easy feat to be part of the elite team of men and women who defend the country. They do not only need to survive hell-like training camps and missions, but first and foremost they must first survive hell in the screening process---the frontier of such a process being occupied by gaining the average score on the ASVAB. Hence, it is understandable for them to be asking: "What is Average ASVAB Score?"

That's because we're talking about the honor and privilege of being heroes of the country here.

This article should have given you a good idea of what is the average ASVAB [http://practiceasvabtestonline.org/] test score and how to get started exploring your military career. 

Visit practice ASVAB test online [http://practiceasvabtestonline.org/] to learn how to improve your ASVAB score to get the military career you want!

Good Luck!

Friday, December 16, 2016

What Score Do You Need to Pass the ASVAB?



If you are worried about passing the ASVAB, you need to calm down. Getting all worked up in the days before the test is only going to lead to test anxiety, which can cause you to do poorly. The first thing you need to realize is that the ASVAB does not need to be 'Aced' in order for you to join the military. You can get in with merely a passing grade.

But you will want to do your best when taking the ASVAB so that you can get the job training and placement you'd be more likely to excel at. All you need to do is study, do your best and you'll be fine. But if you're still wondering, "What score do you need to pass the ASVAB?" keep reading because the answer depends on your military goals.

Scoring the ASVAB

Your ASVAB score is a result of how you did on the overall test, as in all nine sections. Your score is also representative of the number of people who did worse than you on the test. For instance, if you scored a 60 on the ASVAB, then you scored higher than sixty percent of ASVAB test subjects. The higher your score, obviously the better you do and the more jobs you'll qualify for in the armed forces. But what score do you need to pass the ASVAB? That depends on the branch of armed forces you plan to enter.

Air Force

To enter the Air Force, a person would need to score at least a 36 on the ASVAB, which has a 99 point scale. The overall ASVAB score is called the AFQT score, or Armed Forces Qualification Test Score, and most people get a 50 or above.

Army

To enter the Army, a tester would have to score a 31 in order to enlist. However, the Army has recently let people in who have scored as low as a 26 on the test. But if you hope to qualify for enlistment bonuses or incentives, you will need to score at least a 50.

Navy

What score do you need to pass the ASVAB in order to get into the NAVY? You only need a 35, unless you're in the Navy Reserves, and then you will only need a 31.

Marine Corps

To get into the Marines, you will need a 32 score, although there are exceptions. In fact, the Marines have been known to accept recruits with scores as low as 25.

Coast Guard

To get into the Coast Guard, you will need at least a 40 on the AFQT. You can get a waiver if you score less than that, if your ASVAB scores qualify you for a specific job and you're willing to enlist for that job.

What score do you need to pass the ASVAB? You now see that it has a lot to do with what branch of armed forces you want to go into. Talk to your military recruiter about what to expect on the test so that you can be better prepared to score highly come test time.

I hope this article gave you a good idea of what score you need to pass the ASVAB [http://practiceasvabtestonline.org/] and how to get started exploring your military career. 

Visit practice ASVAB test online [http://practiceasvabtestonline.org/] to learn how to improve your ASVAB score to get the military career you want!

Good Luck!

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Asvab Questions - Part 2 - Paragraph Comprehension



The Paragraph Comprehension subtest has 15 ASVAB questions with a total time limit of only 13 minutes which works out to about 51 seconds per question. There are four types of question and the subject matter will quite often be unfamiliar by design.

Be prepared to address the following ASVAB question types: 

Main Idea
Details
Inference
Vocabulary in Context 

The passages could be long or short and more than one question will often apply to a single passage. Even fast readers need to employ some sort of strategy for the greatest chance of success in the Paragraph Comprehension subtest. I consistently recommend the following approach which seems to pretty well and is not hard to execute.

Step 1: Read the Question First to find out exactly what they are asking for. This will indicate what type of question it is and allow you to employ further strategy as described below.

Step 2: Read the Passage. 

Step 3: Consider the Answers. You should look for disqualification clues as you go. If an answer is extreme or seems to contradict the passage it is usually incorrect. Words like always or never are typically good disqualification words.

Main Idea Questions

Very often you will find the main idea stated in the first or last sentence. If you notice words like but, however, nonetheless, yet and although the idea is usually changing direction. These are called "contrast clues" and the main idea is typically found soon after in the passage.

Detail Questions

The correct answer in a detail question is most commonly a paraphrase of something you find in the passage. Do not over analyze and do not look for the main idea. You should be able to easily disqualify a few of the answers because they will be contradictory or extreme. 

Inference Questions

If by reading the question first you discover that you have an inference question, this is a good indication that you need to read the passage very carefully. You must rely solely on the information in the passage and not what you think you know about a subject or how you feel about as subject. The answer is there but not in plain sight. Stick with the facts and what is directly implied in the passage.

Sometimes, the tester will trick you into thinking you have an inference question when it is really a detail question by asking you what is implied while the answer is explicitly stated within the passage.

Vocabulary in Context Questions

The correct answer will be a word that replaces the word in question without changing the meaning of the sentence. As you are reading, think of your own words that might work in the sentence. See if a similar word is one of the answer choices. Also look for words that are the opposite of what you are thinking so you can disqualify those choices. The answer may come to you through process of elimination.

Tips for Slow Readers

If you are a slow reader, you could be in trouble on the Paragraph Comprehension subtest. The techniques I described earlier will certainly help you and probably improve your score on this section but you are going to have to increase your reading speed to do well on this section.

You should set aside an hour per day for recreational reading. You can read a magazine, the newspaper, books or internet articles. It does not matter so much what you read as how often you read. You may even try exercises like paraphrasing articles or having a friend ask you some details about an article after you read it.

Get a free asvab study test [http://www.study-asvab.com] and additional free guidance on how to study for the ASVAB at [http://www.study-asvab.com]

Saturday, December 3, 2016

Modifier-22, Medical Coding


Submitted by: Steven Guptha

Increased procedural service) when the service(s) the physician provides is “substantially greater than typically required.

its primary purpose is to denote circumstances for which a procedure or service required an “unusual” amount of time or effort to perform.

This modifier indicates that a procedure was complicated, complex, difficult, or took significantly more time than usually required by the provider to complete the procedure.

its use implies that the procedure or service was distinctly more time-consuming or difficult to perform.

More complicated or took significantly, more time than usual to complete.

Send a special report to the insurance carrier that describes the unusual nature of the service and justifies the additional charge.

Modifier 22 should be used to report only procedures that have a 0, 10, or 90 day global period that required a level of work far more extensive than usually necessary for the listed procedure.

Even when justified, it may be difficult at best to obtain higher than normal reimbursement from the majority of payers.

Modifier-22 is commonly used if

• Surgeries for which services performed are significantly greater than usually required may be billed with modifier 22.
Anatomical Variants

Don’t assign the Modifer-22

If there is no supportive documentation

When there is a existing code available, don’t used moidifer-22

Don’t append modifier 22 to secondary procedure codes.

Don’t use modifier 22 for re-operations

Don’t substitute an unlisted-procedure code for modifier 22 to avoid carrier denials.

This modifier cannot be submitted with Evaluation and Management (E/M) procedures

This modifier can be used in the following sections of the CPT® code set:

• Anesthesia
• Surgery
• Radiology
• Laboratory and Pathology
• Medicine

Common use Modifier-22

1. Trauma that significantly complicates the particular procedure and cannot be reported with any other procedure
2. Significant scarring that requires extra time and work
3. Morbid obesity making extra work for the physician
4. Increased time resulting from the extra work by the physician
5. Excessive blood loss for the particular procedure
6. Pathologies, tumors, malformation (genetic, traumatic, surgical) that directly interfere with the procedure But are not billed separately
7. Services rendered that are significantly more complex than described by the CPT code in question.
8. Conversion of a procedure from laparoscopic to open, and significant scarring or adhesions.
Example:

The physician performs a colonoscopy on a patient with a tortuous colon. The gastroenterologist spends 110 minutes navigating the scope through the twists and turns of the patient’s lower intestine.

Use Modifier-22 as physician spent extra time.

Documentation:

1) Time: Document additional time

2) Blood loss: Document the quantity of blood lost during the procedure, and compare with usual blood loss during procedure.

3) Use of special equipments

4) Technique used, changing the procedure etc.

Example:

1) During a colonoscopy the gastroenterologist removes nearly 20 polyps from various regions of the colon using hot biopsy forceps technique, physician spends 2 hours for the procedure.

Code 45384-22: Colonoscopy, flexible, proximal to splenic flexure; with removal of tumor[s], polyp[s], or other lesion[s] by hot-biopsy forceps/bipolar cautery).

Even when the CPT code describes Polyps (Plural), the physician work exceeded the usually procedure, so append Modifier-22.

Example 2:

The surgeon performs a laparoscopic cholecystectomy with exploration of common bile duct, during procedure, the surgeon encountered multiple adhesions.

The surgeon spends two hours to remove the adhesions.

Code: 47564-22

Modifier-22 is reported as surgeon effort is additional to complete the surgery.

About the Author: Dr Santosh Kumar Gupta, Triple Certifed Medical Coder and Biller. Trainer: http://www.medicalcodingexperts.com

Source: www.isnare.com