ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Here's why waiting on path report doesn't work for most EDs. Coders unwilling to delve into excision encounter notes to search for details could fail to unearth ethical reimbursement for their physicians' services. The $kinny: The ED physician removes a benign lesion from a patient's upper right arm. You code for a 1.0 cm removal, but neglect to include the surgical margins, which upped the excision total to 2.2 cm. Undercoding in this instance can cost your ED about $50. Avoid lesion removal mistakes with this expert input on optimal excision coding: Malignancy Question Drives Choices You will frequently choose from the following code sets when a physician removes a lesion, confirms Sharon Richardson, RN, compliance officer at Emergency Groups' Office in Arcadia, Calif.: • 11400 (Excision, benign lesion including margins, except skin tag [unless listed elsewhere], trunk, arms or legs; excised diameter 0.5 cm or less) to 11446 (Excision, [...]