Full Lesson Plan + Syllabus Map + Interactive

Page 1 — Collect

Purpose: Teach learners how to pick the correct source first (instead of guessing).

“Your job is to choose the correct book/policy first.”

• Primary rules: official guidelines / codebook instructions
• Payer policy: medical necessity, edits, limits
• Organization policy: documentation authority, query rules
• Tools/cheatsheets: only after verification

• “What am I coding?”
• “What setting is this?”
• “What source governs this decision?”
• “What do I need to verify?”

Page 2 — Observe

Purpose: Teach learners to read the rule conditions, not just the title.

• Definitions / required terms
• Conditions (must-have elements)
• Exceptions (excludes, special cases)

“If you can’t point to the line, you don’t have the rule yet.”

• “What words must be true?”
• “What would make this rule NOT apply?”
• “What note changes my choice?”

Page 3 — Decide

Purpose: Teach learners to choose the defensible path based on evidence + rule.

• If required element is missing → follow policy (query/escalate)
• If documentation conflicts → resolve authority first
• If ambiguous → code only what is supported

Evidence line + rule line + conclusion.

Page 4 — Execute

Purpose: Teach verification + completion + final QA habits.

Keyword → Index → Tabular/range notes → instructions → completeness check

“Would a reviewer understand why I chose this?”

Page 5 — Where Would You Look?

Purpose: Train source selection instinct (Collect) with fast scenarios.

• Short intro: “You’re not choosing the code yet—just the source.”
• 10 scenario questions
• Each question includes: Correct answer, Rationale, Cody Tip, Source to verify

Page 6 — Spot What Changes the Code

Purpose: Train Observe/Decide thinking: identify the single detail that flips the code choice.

Page 7 — Quick Scenario Walkthrough

Purpose: Show full CODE™ loop on mini cases.

• Intro: “We’ll walk it end-to-end—source → rule → decision → verify.”
• 10 questions arranged as mini scenarios (includes a short-answer decision trail)

Page 8 — Your Bestie Cody

Purpose: Make learners feel supported + give a “what to do when stuck” playbook.

Cody’s “Stuck?” Buttons (content prompts)

“I don’t know where to look” → Collect checklist

“I found the code but I’m not sure” → Observe checklist

“Two answers look right” → Decide rules + exclusions reminder

“I’m ready to submit” → Execute verification loop

Cody’s Top Rules

• Index vs Tabular
• Don’t code uncertainty outpatient as confirmed
• Don’t add specificity not documented
• Conflicts → resolve/query, don’t guess
• Decision trail template

Next Steps

Continue into Foundations (or your internal next step).

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Sources (used consistently throughout preview)

Use these as the “Source to verify” labels (no links required):

• ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (uncertain diagnoses; signs/symptoms; conventions)
• ICD-10-CM Tabular List instructions (Excludes, Code first, Additional code, required characters)
• CPT codebook guidelines / section notes (structure, parentheticals, add-on concepts)
• HCPCS Level II introduction/guidance (supplies/drugs/non-physician)
• Payer policy / remittance guidance (CARC/RARC; corrected claim vs appeal)
• Organization documentation authority + query policy (for conflicts/ambiguity)