ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Check chart documentation to determine the best codes to describe your burn care Labor Day brings an end to summer trips to the lake with cookouts, campfires and plenty of sun, all of which can results in burns of various degrees from light sunburn to serious burns requiring aggressive management. Follow these steps when coding your ED physician's burn treatment services. Ensure Documentation Supports A Burn Code Not every burn treatment in the ED will qualify for 16000-16030 service. If the burn was minor enough that no real treatment was provided, such as minor sunburn that required no dressing, debridement, or local treatment, you should include burn treatment in the ED E/M code, says Stacie Norris, MBA, CPC, CCS-P, Director of Coding Quality Assurance for Medical Management Professionals in Durham, NC. Norris provides this example: A patient reports to the ED with a reddened scalp after playing golf without a [...]