COBGC study plan
COBGC · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Coding Guidelines and Regulatory Framework for Outpatient Behavioral Health Group Services
Map each element of the outpatient behavioral health group services regulatory framework (licensure, supervision, coverage authority) to a written one-line summary
Distinguish covered group service categories from non-covered services using the coding guidelines text
Build a personal glossary of at least 20 regulatory and coding terms with plain-language definitions
Identify which guideline sections govern group vs individual service billing and note the differences
Your checkpoint
A one-page regulatory framework summary sheet plus a 20-term glossary, self-quizzed to 90% recall
Coding Guidelines and Regulatory Framework for Outpatient Behavioral Health Group Services & Compliance, Auditing, and Payer-Specific Billing Rules for Group Services
Trace how a regulatory requirement translates into a documentation and claim requirement
List the top audit risk areas for group services and pair each with the guideline that addresses it
Draft a compliance checklist covering supervision, time, and medical necessity attestations
Compare at least three payer policy patterns for group services and record where they diverge from the base guidelines
Your checkpoint
A group-services compliance checklist with at least 12 line items, each citing a guideline or payer-policy source
Group Psychotherapy and Group Counseling Procedure Coding
Differentiate group psychotherapy from group counseling procedure codes by intent, provider, and documentation
Apply time-based code selection rules to at least 10 written group session scenarios
Determine when add-on or per-session units apply versus a single unit per encounter
Identify common code-pair errors and state the correct code for each
Your checkpoint
A 10-scenario code-selection worksheet with rationale for each answer, scored against the guideline text
Group Psychotherapy and Group Counseling Procedure Coding & Modifiers, Place of Service, and Claim Form Completion
Assign the correct modifier to each of 8 group-service claim scenarios and justify the choice
Match place-of-service values to group-service settings and flag mismatches
Complete sample claim forms for group encounters with all required fields populated
Explain how modifier and place-of-service choices affect reimbursement in group billing
Your checkpoint
A milestone exam: 15 mixed coding, modifier, and place-of-service items completed closed-book at 80% or higher
Documentation Requirements and Medical Necessity for Group Services
Draft a group note template containing every required documentation element
Evaluate 6 sample group notes for medical necessity and list deficiencies in each
Distinguish documentation that supports the billed time and units from documentation that does not
Write a medical necessity justification paragraph for a group encounter using the required elements
Your checkpoint
A completed group note template plus a deficiency audit of 6 sample notes with written corrections
Diagnosis Coding (ICD-10-CM) for Behavioral Health Group Encounters
Apply ICD-10-CM conventions (laterality, episode, combination codes) to behavioral health group encounters
Select the principal diagnosis for 10 group encounter vignettes and defend each choice
Identify when additional diagnoses are required versus optional for group encounters
Recognize common diagnosis coding errors in behavioral health and state the correction
Your checkpoint
A 10-vignette diagnosis coding log with principal and secondary codes and a one-sentence justification per case
Compliance, Auditing, and Payer-Specific Billing Rules for Group Services & Modifiers, Place of Service, and Claim Form Completion
Perform a mock internal audit of 5 group claims against documentation and guidelines
Classify each audit finding by severity and recommend a corrective action
Reconcile payer-specific billing rules against base guidelines and document exceptions
Complete claim forms for the audited encounters, correcting any modifier or place-of-service errors
Your checkpoint
A mock audit report covering 5 claims with findings, severity ratings, and corrective actions
Coding Guidelines and Regulatory Framework for Outpatient Behavioral Health Group Services & Group Psychotherapy and Group Counseling Procedure Coding & Documentation Requirements and Medical Necessity for Group Services & Diagnosis Coding (ICD-10-CM) for Behavioral Health Group Encounters & Modifiers, Place of Service, and Claim Form Completion & Compliance, Auditing, and Payer-Specific Billing Rules for Group Services
Complete two full-length timed practice exams and score each domain separately
Re-review the two lowest-scoring domains using the week 1-7 deliverables
Build a personal error log of missed items and restate the correct rule for each
Confirm readiness by re-testing every previously missed item to full accuracy
Your checkpoint
A final readiness scorecard showing per-domain scores, an error log, and a pass/fail readiness decision
Milestones
Week 2: Regulatory framework summary and 12-item compliance checklist complete; can explain how a regulation becomes a claim requirement without notes
Week 4: Closed-book 15-item mixed exam on coding, modifiers, and place of service scored at 80% or higher
Week 6: Diagnosis coding log complete with 10 vignettes; principal diagnosis correct on at least 8 of 10
Week 7: Mock audit report complete with findings and corrective actions for all 5 claims
Week 8: Two timed practice exams completed; every domain at or above target and all previously missed items re-tested to full accuracy