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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Payment Generating Procedures:

Bust 2 Incision and Drainage Myths and Sidestep I&D Abscess Denials

Published on Sun Jun 27, 2010

You'll get twice the payment when you know where to look.Summer brings an influx of patients to the ED with septic bites, burns, blisters, and skin allergies that may require your ED physician's incision and drainage (I&D) services. I&D is covered for treating abscesses -- but recouping the maximum reimbursement is not as easy as you think. One wrong move could cost you as much as $67 in reimbursement.Don't let these two myths ruin your I&D abscess coding strategies.Myth 1: I&D Codes Do Not Differ Significantly From Each OtherReality: In fact, you'll discover just the opposite: these codes differ in a variety of ways.For instance, complicated I&D code 10061 (Incision and drainage of abscess [e.g., carbuncle, suppurative hidradenitis, cutaneous or subcutaneous abscess, cyst, furuncle, or paronychia]; complicated or multiple) pays almost twice the reimbursement that superficial I&D code 10060 (...simple or single) does.You'd be able to tell superficial from complicated with [...]
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