August 11, 2024

On Sunday, August 11, attendees at The National will have access to the gold standard in coding education at the Harry Goldsmith, DPM, Memorial Coding Seminar. The seminar is named in memory of the late Dr. Goldsmith, a former APMA health policy consultant and coding expert who made immeasurable contributions to coding education.

APMA Health Policy Consultant Jeffrey Lehrman, DPM, CPC, will present this year’s seminar. The National Today caught up with Dr. Lehrman to learn more about what’s on the agenda for Sunday.

TNT: What’s new at this year’s Coding Seminar?

Lots of new information! So much so that we have dedicated an entire session to the topic of “Coding and Policy Changes Over the Last Year.” APMA advocacy recently contributed to a major change in coverage of surgical treatment of nails and this will be discussed during Sunday’s session. Podiatrists often find themselves in the situation of caring for complex conditions. We will also discuss new coding that providers can use to represent that care. There were major changes to CPT codes for bunionectomy procedures that took effect January 1, 2024, and this will be explained in detail. We will also discuss the potential exception from MIPS participation in 2024, which is a change brought about by the Change Healthcare cyberattack. 

There is also a change to the format of part of the program. In order to make it more interactive, we will conduct a live audit, performed by a certified auditor, so attendees can see exactly what this process looks like.

TNT: What will attendees be able to take back into practice the next day?

On Monday morning, attendees will have a better understanding of the rules they need to know, what the real source is for these rules, and where they can go on their own to get real answers from appropriate references and implement changes that help to ensure they are following the rules that will be discussed on Sunday.

TNT: The final session of the Coding Seminar is dubbed “MIPS Revenge.” Can you share a bit about that?

Due to COVID-related exceptions, many providers have not engaged with the MIPS program for five years or more. Those COVID-related MIPS exceptions are gone in 2024, so many providers are forced to consider re-engaging with MIPS participation. This session will cover the basics of MIPS and help providers decide whether they should participate or not.  

TNT: What else should attendees know?

Almost every coding question has one, correct answer from an appropriate source. There is almost zero room for opinion in coding.  Nothing that is shared during this session will be opinion.  We will share rules and guidelines and share the sources for all information that is provided.