Cardiology Coding Alert

Hint: Watch the diagnosis -- you may be surprised by what you find.Make sure you're not left with the bill for your cardiologist's in-office monitoring of Coumadin use by learning the Coumadin coding ropes. Ensure coding success by following these key guidelines.Depend on Modifier for Periodic PT TestWhen patients on warfarin come to your "Coumadin clinic" for periodic testing to assess their anticoagulation status, you'll report 85610 (Prothrombin time) if your practice performs the lab service. "When the patient is on Coumadin we routinely check PT (Prothrombin time) and INR (International Normalized Ratio). We do this in our office with a 'finger stick,' and we code this service with 85610," says Jennifer Crowell, CPC, CCC, CEMC, lead hospital coordinator and lead coder at Spokane Cardiology in Washington. "The PT evaluates the ability of blood to clot properly while the INR is used to monitor the effectiveness of blood thinning drugs such [...]