CPC STUDY COURSE · 2026 EDITION
Allocate forty timed therapy minutes
Read an original fictional chart, identify the supported facts, and explain your coding workflow.
Chart gym · Original fictional record
Service date: 2026-09-09 · Outpatient professional or facility service as stated; Medicare relationship
Use your code books and write your reasoning before opening the walkthrough. This exercise contains no real patient information.
Therapy plan
Fictional adult receives outpatient therapy under an established Medicare plan. The record identifies two otherwise reportable15-minute timed procedures. All professional, coverage and documentation requirements are assumed met; no supervised-modality exception or overlapping service applies.
Direct treatment
The therapist provides25 minutes of procedure A, then15 minutes of procedure B. These are distinct direct-treatment intervals. No waiting, setup, untimed evaluation or rest period is included in the40 eligible timed minutes.
Draft allocation
The draft assigns two units to each procedure after independently rounding the two intervals. Another proposal assigns all three possible units to A and omits B. The learner must compare both proposals with the total-minute limit and allocation instructions.
Coding worksheet
Record the total eligible minutes, the units permitted by that total, full 15-minute units by procedure and any remaining minutes. Do not substitute total appointment length. The exercise supplies the timed-entry assumptions so the arithmetic can be reviewed separately from exact procedure selection.
Your coding worksheet
- Total the eligible timed minutes.
- Determine the maximum timed units.
- Allocate full units and the remainder.
- Explain why both draft proposals fail.
In your notebook, record the supported facts, your index route, the instructions you checked, and any missing detail that limits your answer.
Compare with the worked explanation
- 25 plus15 equals40 eligible minutes.
- The cited method permits three timed units.
- Assign two units to A and one to B.
- Four total units exceed the limit; assigning all three to A omits B’s full 15-minute service.
Reference sections: 20.2.C
Practice the linked chart questions
Review the lesson
Sources
- CMS — Medicare Claims Processing Manual Chapter 5. Current consolidated manual accessed September 2026. Accessed 2026-09-12.