Archive by Author
How Do I Code a 2-Sided Nosebleed?
Posted on 19. Jan, 2010 by sanjay.aikat.
Heads up: 2 nosebleed codes are not the answer.
Question: A patient reports to the ED after sustaining injuries during a soccer match; she was hit in the face with a ball, her nose is bleeding, and her right eye…
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Second Surgery Coding: Tips for Modifier 58, 78 Success
Posted on 19. Jan, 2010 by sanjay.aikat.
Don’t let ‘unplanned’ lead to ‘unpaid.’
The next time a patient takes an extra trip to the operating room, don’t let the added service throw your coding off track. Keep these tips in mind to know when to assign modifier…
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Cataract Surgery Coding Skill Builder
Posted on 19. Jan, 2010 by sanjay.aikat.
Determine ‘planned or unplanned’ before separately coding vitrectomy.
With several possible surgical treatments for cataract procedures, which you probably code more often than any other surgery, there’s a lot of room for error – with over $890 at stake for…
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Winter Laceration Repair: How Do I Code For Dermabond?
Posted on 17. Jan, 2010 by sanjay.aikat.
Warning: Your coding will vary depending on who’s getting the claim
Question: A 60-year-old patient reports to the ED with a bandaged left hand. The patient says she was cleaning out the blades of her snow blower and cut her…
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What Diagnosis Code Do I Use for a Fern Test?
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Ob-Gyn Coding Tip: Scan for leukorrhea signs when fluid is present.
Question: My physician performs a fern test on a patient, trying to rule out rupture of membranes. What diagnosis code applies?
Answer: If the test result proves positive,…
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Celebrate CT Colonography’s 2010 Move to Category I
Posted on 01. Dec, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
But don’t assume the new codes will yield improved fees.
Virtual colonoscopy coverage may be a mixed bag, but the AMA showed some confidence in the service by moving its codes from temporary Category III status to full-fledged…
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CPT 2010 Update: Laboratory & Pathology Coding
Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Stop using general codes for analyte-specific tests. Here’s why.
You have 15 new codes scattered throughout the pathology/laboratory CPT chapter, so we’ll help you jump start your 2010 claims with this how-to inventory. “From chemistry to surgical pathology, you’ll find…
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Test Yourself: ICD-9 2010 for Ob-Gyn Coders
Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Is your ob-gyn practice using the new codes correctly? 3 quick questions say for sure.
This year, ICD-9 2010 brought new hyperplasia, mammogram, and fertility preservation codes. In some cases, these codes simply expanded on existing options, and it’sup…
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Can a Sleep Study Code Describe an Awake Test?
Posted on 29. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Question: A sleep study was ordered for a patient diagnosed with hypersomnolence. The neurologistincluded a multiple wake test in the sleep study. What CPT code should I use for the multiple wake test?
Answer: You should use 95805
…
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Surgical Coding Mysteries: The Case of the Separate Mesh
Posted on 22. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Beware Separate Mesh Removal
Question: The surgeon performed the following: Made 10 cm supraumbilical transverse incision with 15-blade scalpel carried down through subcutaneous tissue using Bovie. Used combination electrocautery and blunted dissection to isolate area of scar tissue on patient’s…
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ED Coding Question: Observation or Other E/M Code?
Posted on 17. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Question: A 42-year-old patient reports to the ED early on Tuesday morning for evaluation of uncontrollable shaking in her extremities and severe pain in her neck. The EP admits the patient to observation at 7 a.m. and orders blood tests…
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Pain Management Coding: Endoscopic Lumbar Nerve Decompression
Posted on 15. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Hint: Think ‘unlisted procedure.’
Question: One of our physicians is looking into “endoscopic lumbar spinal nerve decompression.” One of the medical device representatives indicated he could bill it like the lateral extraforaminal approach for lumbar decompression, but I…
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Is 30901 Your Nosebleed Code? Not So Fast?
Posted on 12. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Hint: Look for these keywords in the note to select the correct nosebleed code.
Question: The internist stops a patient’s nosebleed. Is this always a procedure?
Answer: No, if a patient reports with a nosebleed and the physician stops the…
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CMS Makes Key Changes to ABN Modifiers
Posted on 10. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
We’ve got the new instructions you’ll need to follow.
CMS will update the ABN modifiers effective April 1, according to MLN Matters article MM6563, dated Oct. 29.
The ABN descriptors will read as follows:
- Modifier GA — Revised to
…
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HCPCS 2010: CMS Debuts New J Codes
Posted on 10. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Synvisc, penicillin get new codes — along with injectibles for neurology, bleeding.
Hot on the heels of the new CPT codes, CMS follows suit by publishing the 2010 HCPCS code set, posted on the CMS Web site on Nov. 3.…
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Cardiology Coding Question: Separate Reporting for 37204
Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Question: Should I separately report right and left bronchial artery embolization?
Answer: You should report 37204 (Transcatheter occlusion or embolization [e.g., for tumor destruction, to achieve hemostasis, to occlude a vascular malformation], percutaneous, any method, non-central nervous system,…
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2 New 2010 CPT Codes for High-Tech Cardiology Services
Posted on 08. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Steer clear of Cat. I codes for intravascular spectroscopy — here’s where to look instead.
The CPT update season is fast approaching. Warm up for the changes coming your way with a look at new-for-2010 Category III codes aimed at diagnosing…
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Capture Separate CV Access Radiological Guidance
Posted on 05. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Don’t miss out on $20 per procedure when your surgeon performs central venous (CV) access device placements.
If your physician uses fluoroscopic or ultrasonic guidance during the placement, you should separately report that service. We’ll show you how and tell…
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Track Payer’s Preferred H1N1 Admin Code — or Risk Rejections
Posted on 03. Nov, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Code 488.1 does not = confirmed lab.
Swine flu has made an early arrival in several states and in your 2009 preventive and sick coding. To avoid denials for H1N1 vaccination administration, you’re going to have to check which of…
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Will a CLIA Waiver Help Our Practice’s Bottom Line?
Posted on 25. Oct, 2009 by sanjay.aikat.
Question: During a practice meeting last week, the subject of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) waivers came up. We are currently not CLIA-waived, and we will discuss it again at next month’s meeting. I was wondering if you could offer…
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