Question: A patient who had a chemical splashed in her eye came to the emergency department, and the nurse irrigated the patient’s eye. Can we charge for removal of a foreign object from the eye?
Florida Subscriber
Answer: No. You should not report a foreign-body removal code for the eyewash. You should just report the appropriate E/M service code for the emergency department service. The eyewash procedure is included in the acuity for the facility E/M charge.
Tip: Procedure 65205 (Removal of foreign body, external eye; conjunctival superficial) requires more work and time than a simple eyewash entails.
