Book excerpt: Take your first step toward a successful career in medical coding with guidance from the most trusted name in coding education! The bestselling Buck’s Step-by-Step Medical Coding is a practical, easy-to-use resource that shows you exactly how to code using all current coding sets. Explanations of coding concepts are followed by practice exercises to reinforce understanding of the material. In addition to coverage of reimbursement, ICD-10-CM, CPT, HCPCS, and inpatient coding, an Evolve website includes 30-day access to TruCode® Encoder Essentials. No other text so thoroughly covers all coding sets in one source! A step-by-step approach makes it easier to build your skills and remember the material. 30-day trial access to TruCode® Encoder Essentials gives you experience with using an encoder (in addition to separate encoder practice exercises on the Evolve website). Learning Objective and glossary review questions are included at the end of each chapter. UNIQUE! Concrete "real-life" coding reports (cleared of any confidential information) simulate the reports you will encounter as a coder and help you apply coding principles to actual cases. Instructor-led assessments on the companion Evolve website provide additional assessment options in classroom settings (answers and rationales provided at the discretion of your instructor). UNIQUE! Four coding-question variations — covering both single-code questions and multiple-code questions and scenarios — develop your coding ability and critical thinking skills. Over 450 total illustrations help you understand the types of medical conditions and procedures being coded, along with examples taken directly from Elsevier's professional ICD-10 and HCPCS manuals. Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting boxes show the official guidelines wording for inpatient and outpatient coding alongside in-text explanations. UNIQUE! Coders’ Index in the back of the book makes it easy to quickly locate specific codes. Exercises, Quick Checks, and Toolbox features reinforce coding rules and concepts and emphasize key information. Valuable tips and advice are offered in features such as From the Trenches, Coding Shots, Stop!, Caution!, Check This Out, and CMS Rules. Sample electronic health record screenshots (located in Appendix D) show examples similar to the EHRs you will encounter in the workplace. NEW! Updated content includes the latest coding information available, promoting accurate coding and success on the job. NEW! Additional exercise questions covering the Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting.