Dermatology Coding Alert
You Be the Coder:
Mohs With Frozen Section
Published on Thu Jan 13, 2011
Question:
Florida Subscriber
Answer:
Mohs micrographic surgery requires a single physician to act as the surgeon and the pathologist. For the frozen section, use 88331 (Pathology consultation during surgery; first tissue block, with frozen section[s], single specimen) with modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service) to distinguish from the subsequent Mohs.Along with it, you should report diagnostic skin biopsy (11100, Biopsy of skin, subcutaneous tissue and/or mucous membrane [including simple closure], unless otherwise listed; single lesion) --again with modifier 59 -- "if a biopsy of a suspected skin cancer is performed on the same day as Mohs surgery because there was no prior pathology confirmation of a diagnosis," according to the CPT® guidelines.
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