Wiki Which books: Buck or AAPC?

[Realizingadream]

Which coding books do you-all prefer and use in your office? I am a relatively new coder, I code for my clinic and the hospital the clinic is affiliated with, and I do not use the AAPC ICD-9 nor the AAPC CPT book; I use the books that I had in my coding classes--updated of course. In fact, when the boss asked what books to order, all of the coders I work with chose the same book, which incidentally was the same kind we had all used in our classes. (We all graduated from the same program, different years.) If you have used both, do you prefer one over the other and why? I confess, I have never even seen the inside of the AAPC books, but since they are AAPC, which is my professional organization, I wonder if they might be better than the ones I use. Comments?

 

[mitchellde]

I prefer Channel Publishing, Educational Annotation ICD-9 and the AMA professional edition CPT.

 

[encomma-watson]

Happy New Year: Even though when I took my billing/coding course at GTCC we used Ms. Bucks books, in many offices I have used Optum books which I always buy because I get the discounts because we are AAPC members. When you go to take your tests make sure you take those books from Optum. I hope this helps.

Elizabeth Comma-Watson, CPC
Greensboro, NC

 

[sjenkins0070]

I personally am a fan of the Optum books and the AMA CPT Professional manual. I have used the AAPC HCPCS and ICD-9-CM books, but I prefer the Optum brand. That's what we use in the department I work in. No particular reason why I prefer one over the other except that Optum is the brand we've always used. I have heard that Ms. Buck's ICD-9-CM manual is very nice.

 

[TTcpc]

They use AMA where I am now, but my personal preference has always been Optum.

 

[Bready]

which books

I have both the AAPC ICD10-CM and the Optum ICD10-CM. I prefer the layout of the Optum as being more user-friendly.

 

[kbraddo]

Books, Buck or AAPC?

Use both. Always use current books.
Educationally and from a curriculum development standpoint, I like APPC.
I use all their stuff:
Plus: Buck - The Next Step (Elsevier), Shiland - Medical Terminology and Anatomy for ICD10(Elsevier), and Leon-Chisen ICD10-CM and ICD10-PCS Coding Handbook with Answers (AHA).

I was on the editorial review board for the Buck book. I know how much work we put into it to make it good. It also integrates with online instruction.