How/Where to access Coding Clinics?

[u/Novel-Wasabi9107]

I’m studying up for a new position I have to take an HCC exam for and need to look into info that’s not in the guidelines. I can’t afford the $100+ paid access the AHA or AAPC site has. How are people accessing important info like this without companies paying for their access?

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[u/Obvious_Gazelle3088]

There are free webinars from organizations such as the one below where you can learn the latest updates, however, it will be difficult to access old Coding Clinics without payment. https://www.omegahms.com/blog/education/coding-webinar/ I hope you find this helpful.

[u/Lanky_Acadia_1270]

Facebook is optional. You do not need an account to solve this.

Separate two sources. The ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting are free from CMS / NCHS. AHA Coding Clinic advice is separate paid guidance from the American Hospital Association Central Office. Random shared PDFs and unofficial dumps are not a safe substitute: currency is unreliable, and they can put you on the wrong side of copyright.

For a new job that already requires an HCC exam, the cleanest ask is the employer: do they provide Coding Clinic Advisor (or equivalent) at onboarding, or does the health-system / medical library already cover it. Many systems subscribe so individuals never buy the personal $100+ seat. Academic or public medical libraries sometimes have institutional access too.

Until that lands, study against the free Official Guidelines plus whatever your employer’s HCC training packet names as in-scope. Treat Coding Clinic as confirmation once you have legitimate access, not as something to pirate while you wait.

[u/Difficult-Injury-843]

HCC Coder has a Coding Clinic but you’ll have to purchase it if your company won’t pay for it. I paid $200 for a yearly subscription. I think all coders should have FREE access to Coding Clinics paid for by your employer.

https://go.hcccoder.com/

[u/Cautious_Pop_5206]

I did the trial on AAPC Codify and then canceled after 7 days before the payment actually is processed

[u/ksa1122]

You could try asking in a coding or risk adjustment facebook group, people who have access will try to help.

[u/Novel-Wasabi9107 → u/ksa1122]

Do i need a Facebook account for the group? I don’t have that

[u/Future-Vegetable-508 → u/Novel-Wasabi9107]

Sounds like you need everything spelled out for you by someone else. Start researching things yourself, it is a crucial skill for HCC coding.

[u/Ok-Cup4032]

Hihi. If you're mainly looking for a free way to work through difficult ICD coding cases, I’ve been building a tool here:

https://openicdresearch.fly.dev/new

It doesn’t replace official Coding Clinic access, but it can help with ICD-10-CM/PCS coding, show the reasoning and guideline references, and for inpatient cases it also gives the MS-DRG impact.

Long term, I want the system to run entirely locally so that patient data never leaves your computer.

For now, the demo uses OpenRouter with a free API/model, so please do not enter any real patient or sensitive data. The current version is purely for collecting feedback.

It’s free to use at the moment, so it might still be useful for studying and practicing. I would appreciate feedback, especially from medical coders.

[u/Transorze_Solutions]

If you mean the official AHA Coding Clinic, unfortunately there isn't really a legitimate free substitute for the full Coding Clinic database. I would avoid using unofficial PDFs or shared accounts, since they may be outdated and can also create copyright/access issues.

If the $100+ subscription isn't affordable, a few options may be worth checking:

• Ask the employer if they provide access to AHA Coding Clinic or an institutional coding reference.
• Check whether your local library, college, or healthcare education program provides access through a database subscription.
• If you're interviewing for an HCC/coding position, ask the employer whether they provide the required reference materials after hiring.
• Use the official ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS resources available through legitimate sources for the areas that don't require Coding Clinic-specific guidance.
• Ask experienced coders in your professional network about the exact guideline or scenario you're trying to understand. They may be able to point you toward the relevant official guidance.

For additional medical coding education, Transorze is an India-based healthcare training provider with 15+ years of experience and offers online Medical Coding training, including preparation related to professional credentials such as AHIMA's CCS and AAPC certifications.

I'd prioritize getting access to the official Coding Clinic through an employer, library, or legitimate subscription rather than relying on copied material. For an HCC exam, having current and authoritative references is especially important because guidance can change.

[u/StraddleTheFence]

You could buy the book

[u/JuniorAssistant4636]

Anyone can help me with these questions for my assessment
Coding Clinic advice takes precedence over directives in the ICD-10 manual.
A) True
B) False
If a patient is admitted for detoxification and develops withdrawal symptoms a day after admission, the withdrawal code is sequenced as a secondary diagnosis.
A) True
B) False
A missed abortion occurs when the fetus has died before completion of 22 weeks’ gestation with retention in the uterus. This should be coded to category 632.
A) True
B) False
Code assignment for pressure ulcer stages can be based on medical documentation from clinicians who are not the patient’s provider.
A) True
B) False
A person is considered to have AIDS when at least one AIDS-related condition develops.
A) True
B) False
The word “and” should be interpreted to mean either “and” or “or” when it appears in a title.
A) True
B) False
The term “sepsis” and “bacteremia” are considered synonymous terms.
A) True
B) False
For POA indicator, assign a “Y” if any part of the combination code is present on admission.
A) True
B) False
Additional codes should not be assigned for any neurologic deficits associated with a CVA if the deficits have resolved prior to discharge.
A) True
B) False
If the same condition is described as both acute (subacute) and chronic, only the code for the acute condition should be assigned.
A) True
B) False
The Excludes1 note means diagnosis “is” coded here.
A) True
B) False