# 31615 and 31600 "Established trach"



## prayercoder (Apr 4, 2014)

Can these two codes be reported together? 
31600 is "Tracheostomy, planned (separate procedure) 
31615 is "Tracheobronchoscopy through established tracheostomy

It seems that 31600 is inserting a "NEW" tracheostomy
and 31655 is through an "ESTABLISHED" tracheostomy 
shouldn't be reported together, but others I work with disagree.

Can some of you ENT gurus help, please?


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## nickelclaw (Apr 6, 2014)

There is no bundling issue they can be used together without a mod.


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## mitchellde (Apr 6, 2014)

prayercoder said:


> Can these two codes be reported together?
> 31600 is "Tracheostomy, planned (separate procedure)
> 31615 is "Tracheobronchoscopy through established tracheostomy
> 
> ...



What does your procedure note state?   You should not be coding these together even in the absence of a CCI edit.


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## prayercoder (May 23, 2014)

Thank you. Yes they do not bundle, but by the description, it doesn't make sense to me that they should be reported together.

By procedure notes, the tracheostomy is performed, then during the same surgical session a tracheobrochoscopy is performed though the freshly established tracheotomy. According to the CPT description, I don't feel they should be coded together whether NCCI bundles them or not.


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## scadykat (May 27, 2014)

They can post together. There isn't even a need for a modifier. But make sure the documentation fully supports these two procedures.


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