Report biopsy code only once when physician performs multiple biopsies
APCs Weekly Monitor, February 29, 2008
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to APCs Weekly Monitor!
Regardless of how many biopsies a physician takes from a particular patient, report the appropriate biopsy code only once. Coders may need to append modifier -59 on the biopsy code for codes 45380 and 45385, but list both of these codes only once.
Coders may need to append modifier -59 on the biopsy code because some payers feel a biopsy is incidental to removal. Therefor, only report it when the service would otherwise be denied. Physicians should document the type of tissue removed when dealing with different areas of the colon. Quality documentation will include the type of tissue removed; it just doesn't tie into the coding.
(The above tip was excerpted from the February issue of Briefings on APCs).
Want to receive articles like this one in your inbox? Subscribe to APCs Weekly Monitor!
Comments
0 comments on “Report biopsy code only once when physician performs multiple biopsies ”
Related Products
Most Popular
- Articles
-
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- Identify potential Medicaid RAC target areas
- HIPAA Q&A: Level of encryption needed for email
- Topic: CMS, OESS post new security compliance review information, checklist
- Capturing all necessary codes for IUD insertion and removal can be challenging
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- OB services: Coding inside and outside of the package
- QA:Coding multiple initial infusions
- E-mailed
-
- Q/A: Volume requirement for reporting hydration services
- Featured blog post: Nurses face felony charges after reporting physician to the Texas Medical Board
- HIPAA Q&A: Level of encryption needed for email
- Q&A: Follow CMS' coding guidelines when using modifier -25
- What does case-mix index mean to you?
- Catch up on what's new with injections and infusions
- CMS has reformulated payments for some bilateral procedures
- New conflicts of interest create new challenges
- Q/A. One injection code or two?
- ED-to-inpatient transfers are flawed with safety gaps
- Searched