CASCC case studies
CASCC · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The Certified Ambulatory Surgery Center Coder (CASCC) credential is a professional certification for coders who work in or support ambulatory surgery center (ASC) settings. It signals that a coder can take operative and ancillary documentation from a same-day surgical encounter and translate it into accurate CPT, HCPCS Level II, and ICD-10-CM codes that survive payer scrutiny. The CASCC case studies are 5 cases and about 2,976 words.
1Lesion Excision With Same-Day Wound Repair and Multiple Sites
A 58-year-old woman undergoes excision of three skin lesions in an ambulatory surgery center under local anesthesia. Site 1: left cheek, benign-appearing lesion, excised diameter 2.1 cm including margins; pathology returns benign.
544 words, about 3 min2Anesthesia Time, Qualifying Circumstances, and Multiple Procedures
A 71-year-old ASA-PS 3 patient with severe COPD undergoes an open reduction and internal fixation of a distal radius fracture in an ASC. The anesthesiologist provides general anesthesia.
771 words, about 4 min3Pathology Professional vs Technical Component and Duplicate Lab Testing
An ASC sends a tissue specimen to an outside reference laboratory. The ASC's own pathologist reviews the slides and issues the final diagnostic report.
567 words, about 3 min4ASC Claim: Bundled Services, Device-Intensive Procedure, and Patient Responsibility
A Medicare patient undergoes a laparoscopic cholecystectomy in a hospital outpatient department (HOPD) that is provider-based to a hospital. The procedure is on the ASC covered-procedures list, but the service was performed in the HOPD, not the ASC.
546 words, about 3 min5Modifier 25 vs 59 Decision on Same-Day E/M and Procedure
A patient presents to the office with a 3 cm abscess of the left forearm and also complains of chronic knee pain that has been stable for months. The physician performs an incision and drainage (I&D) of the abscess and, during the same visit, performs a focused evaluation of the knee, reviews prior imaging, and adjusts the patient's knee pain medication.
548 words, about 3 min