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Optometry Coding: Stop 92081-92083 Denials in Their Tracks

Record visual fields interpretation and report the right way.
Visual fields are a compliance hot spot. Optometrists should use the visual field interpretation and report (I&R) to record what their thinking process was at that moment by recording any changes noticed, how the field compares to other testing like OCT (92135, Scanning computerized ophthalmic diagnostic imaging, […]

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Avoid Hospice Coding Headaches With Modifiers GV and GW

Differentiating between GV and GW is your first step.
If your urologist sees and treats hospice patients, you probably feel like you have to jump through hoops to get paid. The key to bringing in every hospice-related dollar your urologist deserves is ensuring you append the right modifier.
Base Modifier GV or GW Choice on Diagnosis
When reporting […]

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8 Simple Steps Organize Your Op Note Coding

This aspect of op note coding is the “horse that pulls the cart.”
Stuck on how to tackle this op note or those sitting on your desk? Follow this advice, provided by Melanie Witt, RN, CPC, COBGC, MA, an ob-gyn coding expert based in Guadalupita, N.M. and co-presenter of the “Ob-Gyn Op Notes” session at the […]

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Second Surgery Coding: Tips for Modifier 58, 78 Success

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 78 – or something else.
Check for Surprise Versus Planned
Two modifiers pertain to follow-up trips to the […]

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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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Facet Joint Injection Coding for 2010

Marvel Hammer’s Quick Start Guide to changes you’ll face in 2010.
Tons of pain management coders gathered at the Orlando conference this week, and everyone was abuzz about the coding changes the painful reimbursement cuts their practices are going to get next year.
Some big news: Effective January 1, 2010 radiological imaging will be required and bundled […]

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CMS Makes Key Changes to ABN Modifiers

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 read, “Waiver of liability statement issued as required by payer policy.” You’ll use this when a required ABN was issued.
Modifier GX — […]

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Ophthalmology Coding: GDX, VF, & Temp Plugs — How Many Modifiers?

Question: A patient came in for a GDX and visual field (VF) tests. During the same visit, the ophthalmologist put in temporary plugs. Can we get paid for all services on the same day? I know the office visit needs a modifier. Do I need to put one on the GDX & VF, too?
Answer: Provided the […]

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4 Coding Rules for Multi-Provider Modifiers

Check the work, not dictation, to prevent 42% or more in losses.
With carriers paying 62 percent on co-surgery cases, 20 percent on assistant surgeries, and 15 percent for non-MD assistants, the wrong modifier can cut your pay big time — meaning you better keep certain rules in mind.
The hang-up: “Choosing between the co-surgery and assistant surgeon modifiers […]

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Got Multiple Modifiers? How To Sequence Them on the Claim

Coders like to say that modifiers help them tell the story of what happened in the operating room, hospital, or doctor’s office. But what if the story you have to tell is very long and complicated?
Bookmark these 4 modifier ordering tips from Becki Geraud, CPC, CEMC, RCC, who presented at the Otolaryngology Specialty Coding Conference […]

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