# Can I bill for foreign body......................



## nneecole (Feb 3, 2010)

I hope this isn't a stupid question. Here goes. My doc had a patient that said it feels like something is stuck in her foot. My doc made an incision and opened it up and spent a signifigant amount of time looking for a foreign body. Nothing was found so she irrigated it and sutured it up. Can I bill for foreign body removal if no foreign body was found or is this just included in the E & M?? Help please and thankyou.


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## ringalls (Feb 3, 2010)

There would have to be a foreign body removed to code that procedure
10120 incision and removal of foreign body page 57 in the CPT book
Hope this helps

Robin Ingalls-Fitzgerald CCS, CPC, FCS, CEMC, CEDC


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## Walker22 (Feb 3, 2010)

Don't tell your doc, but I'm kinda surprised that she opened up the patient without getting an x-ray first....


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