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A Medical Coder’s ICD-10 Resource Guide

We’ve got the link to a nifty ICD-9 to ICD-10 code translator.
Maybe I’m getting old, but I just can’t believe we’re about to ring in the second decade of the 21st century. It seems like just yesterday I was toasting the new millennium and breathing a sigh of relief that “Y2K” wasn’t the big catastrophe […]

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2010 CPT General Surgery Coding Update: Changes for Lap, Abdominal Repair & Hemorrhoidectomy

Can you find codes in 2010’s resequencing mess? We show you how.
Reporting your general surgeon’s service with an unlisted code means more documentation work and a payment guessing game — that’s why you’ll welcome CPT 2010’s more specific codes.
General surgery can get all the details at this on-demand, specialty-specific audio update. But we won’t keep you in […]

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How Do I Code Genetic Counseling By A Physician

Limit 96040 to Trained Counselor
Question: May we report 96040 if our physician is performing genetic counseling?
Answer: You should report 96040 (Medical genetics and genetic counseling services, each 30 minutes face-toface with patient/family) only for a trained genetic counselor’s services. (Currently, the American Board of Genetic Counselors [ABMG] certifies genetic counselors in the US and Canada.) […]

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HCPCS 2010: Make Room for New MRI Contrast Codes A9581, A9583

AdreView gets its own ‘A’ code, too.
You can leave confusing “not otherwise classified” codes behind for a few more of the contrast agents that you use.
For services on or after Jan. 1, be sure you’re using the product-specific codes detailed below. Not using the proper codes will lead to claim rejection, which means “not receiving […]

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Ask 3 Questions to Head Off 2010 Consult Problems Before They Start

Ever used an unlisted E/M code? Get ready.
By now, you’ve heard that CMS is doing away with all inpatient (99251-99255) and outpatient (99241- 99245) consultation codes in 2010 — but are you prepared for the issues this may cause, starting Jan. 1? Ask these three questions of your practice and payers, and you’ll fend off […]

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Urology Reimbursement: Coding for MESA, TESA

Question: Could you please give me the most current coding guidelines for the MESA and TESA procedures? The last I was aware, we were to use unlisted procedure codes. Is that still correct?
Answer: You should still use unlisted procedure codes to report microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) and testicular sperm aspiration (TESA, sometimes called TESE […]

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CMS Will Cover HIV Screening As Preventive Care Service

Bonus: Effective immediately!
You’re probably accustomed to CMS taking away coverage for certain services, but in an early holiday gift to practices, CMS has actually added a preventive care service to its roster of covered screenings, effective immediately.
CMS issued a final decision on Dec. 8 declaring that HIV testing will now be covered for Medicare beneficiaries […]

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CCI 16.0: Now Allows a Modifier to Separate Hundreds of Edits

But other new bundles that 16.0 has in store might put a dent in your reimbursement.
You may still be poring through your 2010 CPT manual, but the new edition of CCI, effective Jan. 1, is already looking to make some code pairings impossible.
The Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) released version 16.0 earlier this week, revealing 24,060 […]

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Surgical Coding: Scar Revision on Previous Mastectomy Site

Tip: Find mastectomy scar revision in wound repair
Question: Our surgeon performed a scar revision on the site of a previous mastectomy. The procedure involved excising a 16.5 cm curved scar before performing a layered closure. How should we code this?
Answer: You should use complex wound repair codes for the scar revision procedure that you describe. […]

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CPT 2010: Add New AV Shunt Codes to Your Toolbox

Initial vs. additional access matters in 2010.
Love them or hate them, the trend toward guidance-inclusive codes doesn’t seem to be slowing.
Case in point: CPT 2010 ousts 36145 (Introduction of needle or intracatheter; arteriovenous shunt created for dialysis [cannula, fistula, or graft]) and 75790 (Angiography, arteriovenous shunt [e.g., dialysis patient], radiological supervision and interpretation) and instead […]

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