AAPC Updated CPC Exam Questions and Answers by josephine

J1071 = Testosterone cypionate, 200 mg per unit

96372 = Therapeutic IM injection

Vaccine admin codes do not apply

ANESTHESIA

Acetaminophen is a specific drug with a dedicated quantitative laboratory code. Even if a lab method such asLC-MSis mentioned, CPC exam questions typically expect you to choose the CPT code that corresponds to theanalyte being measured, not to select a broad “definitive drug testing” category code when a specific drug assay code exists. CPT80143is the established code foracetaminophentesting (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. Code80299is an unlisted therapeutic drug assay and is not appropriate when a specific code (80143) exists. Therefore, the correct answer is80143. CPC strategy: when the substance is explicitly named and has a recognized assay code, choose thespecific drug test coderather 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.

Supernumerary digit removal coding depends on whether the extra digit hasbone/jointor is asoft-tissue tag/nubbin. The left-hand extra digit includes ametacarpal bone with a joint, so it is treated as removal of an accessory digit with bony involvement, reported with26910(removal of extra digit, hand/foot;withbone and joint reconstruction elements implied by the code family context). Because it is theleftside, append-LT. The right-hand extra digit is described as anubbin with no bony structure, removed bysimple excision—this aligns with askin tag-likeremoval code,11200, for removal of benign skin tags/lesions by simple excision (as represented in the answer options) with-RTfor laterality. You should not bill both sides with a single “-50” here because the procedures arenot the sameon each side (bony digit vs soft-tissue nubbin). Therefore,26910-LT and 11200-RTis correct.

For bronchoscopy coding, you report the CPT code that describes thetype of scopeand thekey procedure performed. When bronchoscopicbiopsiesare performed, the service is reported with the appropriate bronchoscopy-with-biopsy code, and youdo not multiply the code by the number of biopsy samples. CPT codes for endoscopy procedures generally represent theoverall service, regardless of how many specimens are obtained during that one session at the same anatomic site category. In this question set,31628is the correct code representingflexible bronchoscopy with transbronchial lung biopsy(the biopsy component is the coded element).31625describes bronchoscopy with a different work element (not the biopsy service intended here), making it an incorrect distractor. Options that apply “×5” reflect a common novice error—billing per specimen rather than per procedure. On CPC exams, the presence of multiple biopsies is usually included to test whether you understand that endoscopic biopsy codes arenot reported per sample.