📋 CCS Medical Coding

An independent, free exam-preparation course that walks through the publicly published AHIMA CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) Exam Content Outline — the credential for expert inpatient and outpatient coders. It uses visual lessons, worked record examples, original self-check questions and a 45-question final exam to build exam-ready understanding of ICD-10-CM diagnosis coding, ICD-10-PCS procedure coding (root operations and seven-character structure), CPT/HCPCS for outpatient services, principal-diagnosis selection, present-on-admission (POA), MS-DRGs and APCs, the Official Coding Guidelines and AHA Coding Clinic, reimbursement methodologies, compliance, the physician-query process, data quality, HIPAA and exam strategy for multiple-choice items and medical-record cases. It is awareness/prep only — not the official AHIMA exam or review product — and claims no AHIMA affiliation or endorsement. It maps to AHIMA CCS (inpatient & outpatient coding). The course is organized into 22 modules, ending with a final exam (pass mark 80%). It is independent, free exam-preparation training — not an official or accredited review course.

What you'll learn

• The CCS Credential & the Coding Exam
• ICD-10-CM Structure & the Coding Process
• ICD-10-CM Diagnosis Coding Guidelines
• ICD-10-PCS: Structure & the 7 Characters
• ICD-10-PCS Root Operations
• CPT & HCPCS for Outpatient Coding
• Inpatient vs Outpatient Coding
• Principal & First-Listed Diagnosis Selection
• Present on Admission (POA) Indicators
• Official Guidelines & AHA Coding Clinic
• Sequencing, Combination & Multiple Coding
• MS-DRGs & Inpatient Reimbursement
• APCs & Outpatient Reimbursement
• Healthcare Reimbursement Methodologies
• Compliance & Coding Auditing
• Clinical Documentation & the Query Process
• Data Quality & Healthcare Statistics
• HIPAA, Privacy & Code-Set Standards
• Anatomy, Physiology & Medical Terminology
• Reading the Medical Record (Case Coding)
• Chapter-Specific Coding Scenarios
• Exam Strategy: MCQs & Medical-Record Cases

Learning objectives

• Understand that this is independent CCS exam-prep over the public AHIMA Content Outline, not the official AHIMA exam or review product
• Describe the CCS credential, who it is for, and the structure of the exam (multiple-choice items plus medical-record/scenario cases)
• Assign accurate ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes using the Alphabetic Index, Tabular List and the Official Coding Guidelines
• Build ICD-10-PCS procedure codes from the seven-character structure and the 31 medical/surgical root operations
• Apply CPT and HCPCS Level II for outpatient and physician services, including modifiers and E/M concepts
• Select the principal (inpatient) and first-listed (outpatient) diagnosis correctly and assign present-on-admission (POA) indicators
• Explain reimbursement under MS-DRGs (inpatient) and APCs (outpatient) and how code assignment drives payment
• Use the AHA Coding Clinic, query the provider appropriately, and protect data quality, compliance and HIPAA privacy
• Apply correct sequencing, combination codes and coding conventions to multi-diagnosis records
• Pass a 45-question exam (80% to earn your certificate)