Ascend 2026

Thriving in Today’s Healthcare Environment

Practical strategies for financial strength, operational excellence, and sustainable growth.

Friday November 6, 2026 · 8:00am – 4pm CT

💻 100% Virtual — Attend Live From Anywhere

Important Dates

Registration

Now Open

America 250
Offer Ends

July 31

Early Bird
Pricing Ends

August 31st

Leadership Summit

November 6th

Join Us at the KZA Virtual Coding and Reimbursement Summit!

Elevate your expertise, expand your professional network, and stay up-to-date in coding and reimbursement, all from the comfort of your home or office! Join KZA for a high-impact, one-day event that brings together top-tier industry experts and passionate professionals in a virtual setting designed to empower your growth.

What You Can Expect:

  • Interdisciplinary Education: High-impact sessions tailored for all specialties and all professional roles.

  • Seven Courses: Dive into relevant coding situations and scenarios that matter most to your practice.

  • Earn CEUs: Advance your knowledge and skills and get rewarded with 7 CEUs!

  • Expert-Led Sessions: Learn from KZA’s expert consultants as they lead courses designed to have a positive and immediate impact on your practice.

  • Panel Discussion: Enjoy a bonus panel session where our expert consultants come together for an insightful discussion you won’t want to miss!

Take this opportunity to elevate your professional growth and set you on a path to mastering the latest trends in coding and reimbursement.

Spots are limited! Register today to secure your place and take your career to the next level!

Pricing: $499

Registration is Closed

AGENDA

9:00am-10:00am — From Diagnosis to Payment: Understanding (Hierarchical Condition Categories) HCC’s

10:00am-11:00am — Leveraging CPT and Reimbursement Resources

11:00am-11:15am — Break

11:15am-12:15pm — Modifier 25 Mistakes That Cost You: How to Get It Right

12:15pm-12:45pm — Lunch

12:45pm-1:45pm — Work RVUs as a Compensation Metric

1:45pm-2:45pm — Think Like an Auditor-Catch Common Coding Mistakes Before They Happen

2:45pm-3:00pm — Break

3:00pm-4:00pm — Mastering Surgical Modifiers

4:00pm-5:00pm — Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) the Future of Medical Coding?

5:00pm-5:30pm — Q&A Panel Discussion

All times are listed in the Central Time Zone

Registration is Closed

COURSE INFORMATION

From Diagnosis to Payment: Understanding (Hierarchical Condition Categories) HCC’s

Cathy McDowell, President, CEO, MBA, BSN
Matthew Shortt, PA-C, MBA

  • This fast-paced, 60-minute session demystifies how diagnoses translate into risk adjustment and payment. We connect point-of-care documentation, ICD-10-CM coding, and HCC mapping to RAF scores and reimbursement—highlighting what must be documented and recaptured each calendar year. Using concise case examples, we cover MEAT criteria, high-yield chronic conditions, common pitfalls that dilute risk, and simple workflow “quick wins” your team can implement immediately to protect compliance and revenue integrity across Medicare Advantage and other risk-based contracts.

  • By the end of this 1-hour course, participants will be able to:

    1. Describe how HCC models convert coded diagnoses into RAF scores and influence payment and quality metrics.

    2. Identify risk-relevant chronic conditions that require annual assessment/recapture and apply MEAT criteria to support each diagnosis.

    3. Recognize common documentation and coding pitfalls (e.g., unspecified diagnoses, missing linkage, inactive conditions) and select compliant fixes.

    4. Differentiate between active, historical, and resolved conditions and decide when a diagnosis should—or should not—be coded for risk.

    5. Implement two or more practical workflow tactics (e.g., point-of-care prompts, problem-list hygiene, coder/provider feedback loops) to improve recapture rates and audit readiness.

Leveraging CPT and Reimbursement Resources

Christine Banks, RHIA, CPC, CPCO, Consultant

  • In an era of escalating claim denials and shrinking reimbursements, healthcare providers can no longer afford to approach coding reactivelyThis session empowers you with the knowledge and strategic approach to confidently navigate CPT coding and NCCI resources, driving revenue proactively and maintaining rigorous compliance.

  • By the end of this 1-hour course, participants will be able to:

    1. Identify the key CPT and reimbursement resources.

    2. Examine how CPT and specialty resources can facilitate education and appeals.

    3. Recognize how Medicare and other payor reimbursement resources can facilitate education and appeals.

Modifier 25 Mistakes That Cost You: How to Get It Right

Deborah Grider, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-P, COC, CEMC, CPMA, CCS-P, CDIP, Executive Consultant

  • Are you confident you're using Modifier 25 correctly? Many healthcare providers and billing professionals unknowingly make costly errors when applying this commonly misunderstood modifier. In this eye-opening webinar, we’ll break down the most frequent mistakes that lead to denials, audits, and lost revenue—and show you exactly how to avoid them.

    Join us as we:

    • Demystify the true intent and correct use of Modifier 25

    • Walk through real-world case studies

    • Highlight red flags that trigger audits

    • Share actionable tips to ensure compliance

    Whether you're a seasoned coder or new to billing, this session will sharpen your skills and help you get Modifier 25 right—every time.

  • By the end of this 1-hour course, participants will be able to:

    • Recognize the most frequent mistakes made when applying Modifier 25 and understand how they lead to claim denials, audits, and revenue loss.

    • Learn the specific documentation and coding requirements necessary to justify Modifier 25 and ensure compliance with payer guidelines.

    • Develop strategies to use Modifier 25 confidently and accurately in everyday coding scenarios to reduce audit risk.

Work RVUs as a Compensation Metric

Cathy McDowell, President, CEO, MBA, BSN

Matthew Shortt, PA-C, MBA

  • This session demystifies the work Relative Value Unit (wRVU) and how it drives provider compensation. We’ll clarify what a wRVU measures, how it differs from total RVUs, and why organizations tie it to pay. Using simple, real-world examples, you’ll practice turning encounter volumes and CPT codes into wRVUs, apply a conversion factor, and spot the levers that change a paycheck (tiers, thresholds, caps, and quality/bonus overlays). We’ll also flag common pitfalls—coding/documentation issues, mixed APP/physician production, split/shared rules, and reconciliation mistakes—so leaders and clinicians can design, negotiate, and manage fair, compliant wRVU plans.

  • By the end of this 1-hour course, participants will be able to:

    1. Define the wRVU and distinguish it from total RVUs (work, practice expense, malpractice) and other productivity measures (visits, charges, collections).

    2. Explain how compensation plans convert wRVUs to pay (conversion factor, guarantees/draws, thresholds/tiers, floors/caps, and quality or call add-ons).

    3. Identify compliance and operational risks in wRVU models (documentation accuracy, upcoding pressure, split/shared or incident-to nuances, APP attribution) and outline controls for auditing and reconciliation.

    4. List the essential reports and cadence needed to manage a wRVU plan (monthly statements, variance checks, year-end true-ups, dispute process).

Think Like an Auditor-Catch Common Coding Mistakes Before They Happen

Deborah Grider, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-P, COC, CEMC, CPMA, CCS-P, CDIP, Executive Consultant

  • Accurate coding is crucial for proper reimbursement and compliance in the healthcare industry. This session, "Think Like an Auditor: Catch Common Coding Mistakes Before They Are Made," is designed to help healthcare and coding professionals identify and prevent common coding errors. Frequent mistakes will be discussed, such as incorrect modifier use, unbundling, upcoding, downcoding, diagnosis linkage, outdated codes, and more. This fast-paced session aims to equip coders, billers, managers, and providers with awareness and knowledge to enhance coding accuracy, reduce denials, and ensure coding compliance.

  • By the end of this 1-hour course, participants will be able to:

    1. Identify and Prevent Common Coding Errors Before They Happen!

    2. Detect Incorrect “Unbundling” of Services Prior to Claim Submission

    3. Recognize “suspicious’ modifier usage in code combinations.

    4. Collaborate with others to ensure clean claim submission and resubmissions

Mastering Surgical Modifiers

Christine Banks, RHIA, CPC, CPCO, Consultant

  • Surgical modifiers are among the most powerful—and most misunderstood—tools in medical coding. These two-digit add-ons can mean the difference between full payment and automatic denial, between optimized revenue and money left on the table, between clean claims and compliance nightmares. This comprehensive course takes you from foundational modifier knowledge to expert-level strategic application, equipping you with the skills to leverage modifiers confidently and compliantly.

  • By the end of this 1-hour course, participants will be able to:

    1. Define the purpose and function of CPT modifiers in surgical coding and reimbursement

    2. Explain the difference between informational modifiers and payment-affecting modifiers

    3. Apply team surgery modifiers (-62, -66, -80, -81, -82) based on the specific surgical circumstances

    4. Select the appropriate modifier for staged or related surgical procedures (-58 vs. -78 vs. -79)

    5. Identify the differences between -59 and its X-modifiers (-XE, -XS, -XP, -XU) and when each should be used

Is Artificial Intelligence (AI) the Future of Medical Coding?

  • Healthcare organizations utilize Artificial Intelligence in many forms: Natural Language Processing, Deep Language Learning, Machine Learning, and Generative Artificial Intelligence. The coder's role is changing to require an elevated level of expertise. While AI offers many advantages, such as increased efficiency and reduced error rates, it is unlikely to replace human medical coders completely.  Instead, AI may help coders focus on more complex, nuanced tasks while improving overall productivity.

  • By the end of this 1-hour course, participants will be able to:

    1. Review the future impact of the traditional coder role.

    2. Explore the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on medical coding.

    3. Review the advantages and disadvantages of using AI for medical coding.

Deborah Grider, CPC, CPC-I, CPC-P, COC, CEMC, CPMA, CCS-P, CDIP, Executive Consultant

KZA Speakers

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Registration is Closed

Feedback from Past Conference Attendees

  • "This course was incredibly comprehensive, offering content that was both informative and practical. The structure of the topics made it easy to follow and grasp each concept thoroughly. I appreciated how each module seamlessly built upon the previous one, creating a cohesive learning experience. Overall, I gained significant insights from this course, and I’m confident that the knowledge will be valuable in the future."

    – Edilia Castano Ganan
    Pediatric Orthopedics of SWFL

  • "Educator was engaging and knowledgeable! I am leaving with a ton of ideas and motivation to continue practices that I have implemented!”

    – Melissa Satterfield
    Wooster Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine

  • "Hands down, I prefer to be in person, especially when KZA is presenting. Everyone needs to have the opportunity to participate in this. It is truly time and money well spent. KZA’s knowledge is revenue!"

    – Spine Course Attendee

  • "As always, we have take-a-ways from the courses that we can implement in our practice. KZA is by far THE best conferences that I have ever attended and that is why we keep going back, year after year and why we look forward to learning from them every year."

    – Darcy Crabb
    Ear Nose & Throat Consultants and Hearing Services PLC

  • “I enjoyed the information/topic on spine most. Its hard to find information like this on spine. I'm new to spine coding and haven't found a lot of training information on spine so this was very helpful.”

    – Kim Mathis

  • "Very comprehensive review, this course provides tangible ways to improve documentation and billing."

    – Lya Crichlon

  • "This is my 3rd year attending this course and the 2nd year with Deb. Coding certifications prepare you for the technical aspects of correct coding, but until you're "in the trenches" and working with providers, payors and EHR systems, you can't appreciate the necessity of an annual KZA course. It's not an expense- it's an investment that pays immediately- beginning the Monday after you've spent Fri and Sat with Deb, through improved documentation, coding and appeals mgmt. The information is current and the benefit of attending with coders, providers and billers gives added insight into regional denial trends and perspectives on correct coding, documentation and appeal strategies."

    – Carmen Powell
    Murfreesboro Medical Group ENT/Allergy

  • "I was impressed; several times, a participant had questions about scenarios not given in the workbook, and the presenter confidently navigated and responded to those scenarios, which gave me confidence in the presentation and her representation of KZA."

    – Spine Course Attendee

  • “I enjoyed everything about this course. We were able to cover almost every topic in our workbooks, had the option to ask questions during the course as well as afterwards. Fantastic resource and let me know that I was coding some of the more complicated spine cases correctly. This was an amazing conference that taught me new concepts and let me know I was mostly on track with my spine coding.”

    – Shannon Knight

  • "The workbooks created by KZA (then and now) are excellent reference tools. KZA Presenters are high-energy and very knowledgeable. They never make you feel like you are asking a dumb question, and they are willing to break down a coding issue."

    – Spine Course Attendee

  • “The information in the orthopedic workshops are spot on. They are on point. We cant afford to not go to a KZA ortho workshop.”

    – Megan Williams

  • “I have attended multiple KZA courses—all were outstanding.”

    – Michael Reid, MD, MBA

  • “This course was very informative and provided great resources that can be applied to my organization.”

    – Erin Holmstrom

  • “It gives me a good sense of security to be able to attend a course like this and get confirmation of what we are doing right, what we need to improve and come back with lots of helpful tips.”

    – Eva Gomez

  • “It was a good course that gave great information that I can bring back to the office to help improve our workflow so we can get paid on initial submission.”

    – Shannan Robinett

Have Questions About Registration for Our Summits?

Our team is here to help with all your registration needs, whether you're signing up solo or registering a group of 3 or more, contact us today to learn more and secure your spot at the 2026 KZA Summits!

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