What is the purpose of CPT and ICD-10 coding in athletic training documentation?

• A. Facilitate reimbursement and billing; ensure medical necessity; support data collection and outcomes reporting; accurate coding reflects treatment.
• B. Replace clinical notes; avoid billing; no medical necessity.
• C. Only used for research; not used for billing.
• D. Coding is optional and not important.

Answer: (B)

CPT and ICD-10 coding translate the care you provide into a standardized way to justify and track it. In athletic training, CPT codes describe the procedures or interventions you perform (for example, therapeutic exercises, manual therapy, or reconditioning activities), while ICD-10-CM codes capture the patient’s diagnosis or impairment that led to treatment. Together, they demonstrate medical necessity to payers, enable proper reimbursement, and support data collection, outcomes reporting, and quality improvement efforts. Coding should accompany your clinical notes to reflect exactly what was done and why, not replace the narrative. It’s not optional, and claims can be denied or flagged for audits if coding is inaccurate or omitted.