Cardiology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Call Up Phonocardiographic Code With Ease

Question: I can't find "phonocardiographic recording" in the CPT manual. Is there a code for this? Rhode Island Subscriber Answer: The proper codes are Category III codes, according to CPT Assistant (March 2005): • 0068T-- Acoustic heart sound recording and computer analysis; with interpretation and report • 0069T-- ... acoustic heart sound recording and computer analysis only • 0070T-- ... interpretation and report only. Phonographic recording, also called acoustic heart sound recording, involves a computer analyzing acoustic sensor recordings to identify specific heart sounds, such as murmurs. CPT Assistant explains that the "recording and analysis helps substantiate the diagnosis of symptomatic patients with left ventricular hypertrophy, with acute myocardial infarction and detect S3 S4 heart sounds in the identification of cardiac conditions associated with left ventricular dysfunction." Until 2008, CPT required you to report 0068T-0070T as add-on codes to a 12-lead ECG code. But CPT removed the add-on requirement in [...]
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles in this issue of

Cardiology Coding Alert

View All