CCDS-O Exam Dumps - ACDIS Clinical Documentation Specialist Questions and Answers

In MSSP-style ACO financial reconciliation, performance is evaluated against a benchmark (expected costs). Here, the ACO’s actual spending ($52M) exceeds the expected benchmark ($50M) by $2M, meaning the ACO generatedshared lossesrather than savings. In risk-bearing ACO arrangements, when costs exceed the benchmark and the ACO is in a track that includes downside risk, the organization may owe CMS a portion of those losses. The shared savings/loss rate (50% in this scenario) represents the percentage of the difference from the benchmark that the ACO shares with CMS, assuming applicable thresholds are met. Thus, instead of receiving a shared savings payment, the ACO would be accountable topay backa share of the excess spending (conceptually 50% of the $2M overage, if all model requirements are satisfied). Option D is not correct because reconciliation is typically performed on a performance-year basis rather than only at the end of the full agreement period, and option C is not how MSSP eligibility works.

Pulmonary rales (crackles), radiographic pulmonary edema, and peripheral (ankle) edema together strongly suggest a systemic volume overload state, most classically due to heart failure. In ambulatory CDI chart review, these findings function as clinical indicators that drive the provider’s diagnostic reasoning and typically prompt further evaluation of heart failure type and status (e.g., acute vs chronic, systolic vs diastolic, preserved vs reduced EF), along with assessment of severity and potential decompensation. Providers commonly correlate these indicators with additional data such as weight gain trends, BNP, echocardiogram findings, medication adherence (diuretics), and signs of congestion to determine whether the patient is experiencing a heart failure exacerbation requiring treatment adjustments. While pleural effusion may coexist and pneumonia can cause rales, the presence of pulmonary edema on chest x-ray plus bilateral ankle edema points more directly to a cardiac/volume etiology than an isolated infectious process. Pulmonary hypertension may contribute to dyspnea and edema but does not most directly explain pulmonary edema on imaging in the same way. Therefore, heart failure is the most likely condition to be evaluated further.

Across both inpatient and outpatient CDI, the single expectation that must remain consistent isquery compliance. While productivity targets, the types of query opportunities, and the way “impact” is measured can differ significantly by setting (e.g., DRG/CC-MCC focus in inpatient vs. HCC capture, specificity, and MEAT support in outpatient), the compliance framework for querying does not change. A compliant query must be clinically supported, non-leading, clearly written, and must allow the provider to independently determine the most accurate documentation based on the record. It should include relevant clinical indicators, present reasonable options (including “other”/“unable to determine” when appropriate), and avoid language that appears to request diagnoses for payment purposes. These principles protect documentation integrity, support defensible coding, and reduce audit risk regardless of whether the encounter is hospital-based or ambulatory. By contrast, “review productivity” and “revenue impact” vary widely by program design and setting, and “query opportunities” differ because inpatient vs. outpatient have different reportability rules and documentation drivers. Therefore, query compliance is the metric held to the same standard in both environments.

In the outpatient setting, thefirst-listed diagnosisis the condition chiefly responsible for the services provided during the encounter. Here, the stated reason for the visit iscontinued confusion and poor memory, and the provider specifically evaluates the patient’scurrent mental stateand references neurology consultation notes—actions that directly support assessment of a cognitive disorder. While HTN, GERD, and Parkinson’s are also addressed and may be reportable if they meet encounter relevance (e.g., monitored, evaluated, assessed/managed, or treated), they are not the primary driver for today’s visit based on the presenting complaint. Outpatient documentation and coding guidance emphasizes sequencing the diagnosis that best explains the visit’s main purpose first, with additional coexisting conditions listed afterward when they impact care. Since “dementia” is on the active problem list and aligns with the patient’s cognitive symptoms and the physician’s mental-status evaluation, it is the most appropriate first-listed diagnosis among the options.

Under CMS-HCC methodology, risk adjustment is driven by ICD-10-CM diagnoses that map to HCC categories and are supported as active conditions addressed at the encounter.CKD stage 3is a classic HCC-qualifying chronic condition because it represents ongoing kidney disease severity and expected resource use, and in this note it is actively assessed with labs reviewed and a nephrology referral. Achronic non-pressure foot ulceris also typically HCC-qualifying when documented as ongoing and requiring management, which is supported here by home care/wound assessment planning. In contrast,“depression”(without specification such as major depressive disorder severity/status) commonly does not qualify for HCC in the way major depressive/bipolar categories do, making it less reliable as a risk-adjusting diagnosis. Likewise,“renal failure”is nonspecific and potentially conflicting with CKD stage 3; CDI best practice would be to clarify acuity/severity (acute kidney injury vs CKD stage vs ESRD) rather than assume “renal failure” as an HCC driver. Therefore, the validated HCC-qualifying pair is CKD 3 and chronic non-pressure ulcer.

In ambulatory CDI risk adjustment, the largest RAF impact typically comes from ensuring accurate capture of high-weight, HCC-relevant chronic conditions—especially active malignancies with metastasis. “Metastatic melanoma (followed by oncology)” suggests an ongoing, clinically significant condition, but the wording could represent active metastatic disease, history of metastatic disease, remission, or no current evidence of disease. Because HCC models distinguish active metastatic cancer from history-only status, clarifying thecurrent status(active/under treatment, recurrent, in remission, history) can materially change whether the condition qualifies for risk adjustment and how the patient’s expected cost is benchmarked. By comparison, adding BMI (when morbid obesity is already documented) generally does not increase HCC capture, and fracture sequelae typically does not drive HCC risk scoring in the same way. Bipolar disorder may map to an HCC, but its relative impact is generally lower than metastatic cancer, making melanoma status the highest-value clarification.

Home oxygen is a strong clinical indicator, but by itself it does not tellwhythe patient requires it. Outpatient CDI best practice prioritizes clarifying theclinical indicationbecause it drives accurate, compliant diagnosis reporting and supports medical necessity and severity of illness. “Oxygen dependence” (a status concept) may be appropriate, but it is secondary and often incomplete without the underlying condition—such aschronic hypoxic respiratory failure,chronic respiratory failure with hypercapnia, or persistent hypoxemia related to end-stage COPD/emphysema. Clarifying the indication also helps ensure the provider documents objective support (e.g., qualifying O2 sats, ABG findings, exertional vs resting hypoxemia) and ties it to assessment/plan at the PCP visit. While specifying heart failure type (A) is valuable, and emphysema “status” (B) may be less actionable because emphysema is typically chronic and encompassed within COPD management, the oxygen requirement is the most immediate cue of higher acuity and a frequent documentation gap. Therefore, clarifying the indication for home oxygen is the highest-value query opportunity.

For outpatient E/M reporting, “new vs. established patient” status is determined using a lookback period based on prior professional services. Anestablished patientis one who has received face-to-face (or other qualifying professional) services from the same physician or another physician/qualified healthcare professional of thesame specialty and subspecialtyin thesame group practicewithin theprevious three years. This definition is critical for compliant coding because it drives which E/M code family is available (new patient codes vs established patient codes), and it affects relative valuation, documentation expectations, and audit risk. Outpatient CDI education emphasizes helping providers document the medical necessity and complexity of the visit regardless of patient status, but also ensuring correct administrative classification so coders select the correct code set. The three-year window prevents inappropriate use of new patient codes when the patient has an ongoing clinical relationship with the practice/specialty, supporting accurate reimbursement and consistent reporting.

A prospective query is initiated early enough (before or during the visit workflow) so the provider can evaluate, assess, and document the condition in real time while the patient is present. This is a major provider benefit because it supports better clinical accuracy and completeness: the clinician can ask targeted questions, perform relevant exam elements, review results, and determine whether the condition is present, active, being monitored, or ruled out—then document the final clinical impression and plan. From an ACDIS outpatient CDI perspective, prospective querying improves efficiency and reduces retrospective “chart-chasing,” late addenda, and documentation gaps that occur when clarification is requested after the encounter is closed. Importantly, prospective queries must remain non-leading and cannot direct the provider to a particular diagnosis (eliminating option A). They also cannot “guarantee” risk-adjusted capture because the diagnosis must be clinically supported and addressed (eliminating option B). Defining the purpose of the encounter is driven by the clinical reason for visit, not by CDI (eliminating option D).

A key ambulatory CDI distinction between the two major risk models is timing. The HHS-HCC model (used for ACA Marketplace risk adjustment) is commonly described as a concurrent model: it uses the enrollee’s demographics and diagnoses from the same benefit year to reflect morbidity and support that year’s risk transfer/payment balancing. In contrast, the CMS-HCC model (commonly applied in Medicare Advantage) is prospective: conditions documented and coded in the prior data collection year are used to predict expected cost for the following payment year. From an outpatient CDI perspective, this timing difference affects operational priorities. For CMS-HCC, accurate annual capture and recapture of active chronic conditions is essential because last year’s documented conditions drive next year’s risk score and revenue. For HHS-HCC, complete documentation and coding during the current year impacts the current year’s risk measurement. Options referencing CPT codes are not correct for the core HCC risk score calculation, which is driven by demographics and ICD diagnosis reporting mapped to HCC categories.