ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: I'm a bit confused. When reporting a foreign body removal of the nose, would I use the CPT® code 30300? I also see an ICD-9 code for nasal foreign body removal of 98.12. I was told not to code the 30300 by one person, but then I was told I should code it by another. It was for an ER procedure. They used tweezers to remove a bead from a child's nostril.

New York Subscriber

Answer:  The code assignment will depend on whether you are coding for the professional service or the facility fee. On the professional side, you would report the procedure using the appropriate CPT® code, in this case 30300 (Removal foreign body, intranasal; office type procedure) to describe the service.

Depending on the facility's coding and reporting process, you may report the ICD- 9 procedure code from Volume 3 of 98.12 (Removal of intraluminal foreign body from nose without incision) to demonstrate the medical necessity for the service, but this would not be part of the physician coding process.