AAPC AAPC-CPC Online Practice Questions and Exam Preparation

AAPC AAPC-CPC Online Questions & Answers

• Question 101:

  Dr. Meredith sees Mr. Hollis (a new patient) for the first time in a community rest home. She documents a visit with medical decision making of moderate complexity. She spends an additional 20 minutes discussing physical therapy and reviewing medications. Dr. Meredith spends a total of 90 minutes on the patient that day.

  What CPT(R) coding does Dr.

  Meredith report?

  A. 99344,99417
  B. 99344
  C. 99345,99417
  D. 99345
  A. 99344,99417

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  Explanation

  New patient in a community residential facility.

  Moderate MDM = 99344.

  Total time = 90 minutes.

  Base time exceeded = 99417 appropriate.

  Why the others are incorrect: 99345 - High MDM, which is not documented.

  Other options are missing the prolonged service code or select the incorrect base code.

• Question 102:

  A 32-year-old visited a provider due to skin itching and ongoing irritation and watering of the eyes.

  Suspecting an allergy, the provider suspects an allergic reaction and decides to conduct allergy testing. A prick on the skin of the patient's forearm is performed by introducing a small amount of an allergen and monitored for signs of an allergic reaction.

  What CPT(R) code is reported?

  A. 95060
  B. 95024
  C. 95056
  D. 95004
  D. 95004

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  Explanation

  95004 - Percutaneous tests with allergenic extracts, immediate-type reaction, including test interpretation and report.

  This code describes allergy testing performed by the prick, puncture, or scratch technique.

  Why others are incorrect:

  95024 - Intracutaneous allergy testing 95056 - Photo patch test 95060 - Ophthalmic mucous membrane tests

• Question 103:

  A patient had surgery a year ago to repair two flexor tendons in his forearm. He is in surgery for a secondary repair for the same two tendons.

  Which CPT coding is reported?

  A. 25263
  B. 25272 x 2
  C. 25272
  D. 25263 x 2
  D. 25263 x 2

• Question 104:

  (A 7-year-old child presents with third-degree circumferential burns of his chest, resulting in restricted chest expansion and concern for respiratory compromise. To relieve pressure caused by the eschar, the surgeon performs an escharotomy. During the procedure, two incisions are made through the eschar down to the subcutaneous tissue to release the constrictive effects. The burns are full-thickness and involve 10% TBSA, resulting in all third-degree burns.

  What CPT(R) and ICD-10-CM codes are reported for this service?

  A. 16035 x 2, T21.39XA, T31.10
  B. 16035, 16036, T21.31XA, T31.11
  C. 16035, 16036 x 2, T21.31XA, T31.11
  D. 16035, 16036-51, T21.39XA, T31.10
  B. 16035, 16036, T21.31XA, T31.11

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  Explanation

  Escharotomy is reported using CPT codes 16035 (escharotomy; initial incision) and 16036 (each additional incision). Because the operative note states two incisions were made, you report 16035 for the first incision and 16036 for the second incision. Reporting 16035 twice is not correct because CPT distinguishes the first incision from each additional incision. "-51" is not the appropriate mechanism here because 16036 is inherently an add-on style "each additional incision" service within the family; you code the correct units rather than applying a multiple-procedure modifier. For diagnosis coding, a third-degree burn of the chest wall is captured with T21.31XA (third-degree burn of chest wall, initial encounter). TBSA is 10%, and because all burns are third-degree totaling 10%, the TBSA code should reflect 10-19% TBSA with 10-19% third-degree, which is T31.11. Option B is the only choice that correctly pairs the CPT structure, initial plus additional incision, with the appropriate burn location and TBSA/third-degree severity reporting.

• Question 105:

  A 45-year-old female presents to the ED with chest pain. The provider has an Albumin Cobalt Binding Test to determine if the chest pain is ischemic in nature.

  That lab test is reported?

  A. 83857
  B. 84134
  C. 82043
  D. 82045
  D. 82045

• Question 106:

  A mother brings her 2-year-old son to the pediatrician's office because he stuck a bead up his left nostril.

  The pediatrician uses a nasal decongestant to open the blocked nostril and removes the bead with nasal forceps.

  What CPT coding is reported?

  A. 30210-50
  B. 30210
  C. 30300
  D. 30300-50
  C. 30300

• Question 107:

  A patient presents with keratosis lesions on her left cheek, above the left eyebrow, and on the chin area.

  The dermatologist treats those areas by lightly sanding the surface of a total of 5 lesions.

  What CPT(R) coding is reported?

  A. 15787 x 5
  B. 15786, 15787
  C. 15786, 15787 x 4
  D. 15786 x 5
  D. 15786 x 5

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  Explanation

  CPT(R) code 15786 is used for abrasion treatment of the first lesion (e.g., for keratosis) through techniques such as dermabrasion, or lightly sanding the skin's surface. CPT(R) code 15787 is used for each additional lesion treated by the same technique.

  Since the patient has 5 keratosis lesions treated through sanding, the correct coding is 15786 for the first lesion and 15787 x 4 for the additional four lesions.

  Review of other options: Option A. 15787 x 5: Incorrect because 15787 is designated for additional lesions and must be used in conjunction with 15786, not alone.

  OptionB. 15786, 15787: Incorrect, as it does not account for all five lesions treated.

  OptionD. 15786 x 5: Incorrect because 15786 is reported for the first lesion only, not for each lesion.

  Therefore, the correct answer is Option C. 15786, 15787 x 4.

• Question 108:

  911 is called by the physician for an ambulance with non-emergency basic life support to pick up a patient from his office who had fainted. The patient was taken to the hospital.

  What HCPCS Level II coding is reported for the ambulance's service?

  A. A0428-QM-PH
  B. A0429-QM-PH
  C. A0428-QM-HP
  D. A0429-QM-HP
  A. A0428-QM-PH

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  Explanation

  To select the correct HCPCS Level II code for a non-emergency ambulance service, focus on the following components: A0428 represents ambulance service, Basic Life Support (BLS), non-emergency transport, which is appropriate here because the patient was transported with non-emergency BLS following a fainting episode. This eliminates options B and D, which indicate emergency transport (A0429).

  Modifier QM indicates ambulance service provided under arrangement by a provider of services.

  Modifier PH specifies transport from physician's office to hospital, matching the scenario where the patient was taken from the physician's office to the hospital. Thus, A0428-QM-PH accurately describes non-emergency BLS transport arranged by a provider from a physician's office to the hospital, aligning with choice A.

• Question 109:

  A 1-year-old is with his mom to have his scheduled vaccinations. The physician provides counseling for routine immunizations and administers measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella (MMRV) subcutaneously and dose 3 of Hepatitis B intramuscularly without difficulty.

  What CPT(R) codes are reported?

  A. 90471, 90472 x 4, 90707, 90746
  B. 90460, 90461, 90710, 90744
  C. 90460 x 2, 90461 x 3, 90710, 90744
  D. 90471, 90472, 90707, 90746
  C. 90460 x 2, 90461 x 3, 90710, 90744

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  Explanation

  Procedure and CPT(R)

  Code Selection: The physician administered the MMRV (measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella) vaccine subcutaneously and dose 3 of the Hepatitis B vaccine intramuscularly. The physician also provided counseling on routine immunizations. CPT(R) code 90460 is used for immunization administration with counseling by the physician for patients 18 years or younger for the first or only component of each vaccine. CPT(R) code 90461 is used for each additional component in a vaccine with counseling. 90710 is the code for the MMRV vaccine. 90744 is the code for the Hepatitis B vaccine, pediatric.

  Application of 90460 and 90461:

  For the MMRV vaccine, which has four components, measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella, 90460 is reported once for the first component, and 90461 is reported three times, once for each additional component.

  For the Hepatitis B vaccine, 90460 is reported again since it is a separate vaccine with one component.

  Rationale for Excluding Other Options: Option A, 90471, 90472 x 4, 90707, 90746, uses codes for vaccine administration without counseling and incorrect vaccine codes, 90707 for MMR instead of MMRV and 90746 for adult Hepatitis B instead of pediatric.

  Option B and Option D also contain incorrect vaccine codes and do not correctly apply the counseling administration codes.

  AAPC and CPT(R)

  Coding Guidelines: According to AAPC guidelines, 90460 and 90461 are the appropriate administration codes for vaccines with counseling provided to pediatric patients, with each component of a multi-component vaccine coded separately.

  Therefore, the correct answer is C. 90460 x 2, 90461 x 3, 90710, 90744.

• Question 110:

  A provider orders a liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) definitive drug test for a patient suspected of acetaminophen (analgesic) overdose.

  What CPT(R) code is reported for the test?

  A. 80299
  B. 80324
  C. 80143
  D. 80329
  C. 80143

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  Explanation

  Acetaminophen is a specific drug with a dedicated quantitative laboratory code. Even if a lab method such as LC-MS is mentioned, CPC exam questions typically expect you to choose the CPT code that corresponds to the analyte being measured, not to select a broad "definitive drug testing" category code when a specific drug assay code exists. CPT 80143 is the established code for acetaminophen testing (quantitative measurement). Codes in the 803xx range are commonly associated with drug screening/ testing categories that do not specifically represent acetaminophen as a named analyte in the way CPC questions test. Code 80299 is an unlisted therapeutic drug assay and is not appropriate when a specific code (80143) exists. Therefore, the correct answer is 80143.

  CPC strategy: When the substance is explicitly named and has a recognized assay code, choose the specific drug test code rather than an unlisted or generalized testing category. The method (LC-MS) supports definitive testing clinically, but the code selection here is driven by the named analyte.