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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Step-by-Step Coding:

Count Layers to Smoke Out Burn Claims Cash

Published on Sun Apr 25, 2010

Did doc deal with blisters? It could be a partial-thickness treatment.Summer's the season of the burn.Sunburn, charcoal burn, fireworks burns ... all can result in ED presentations..Follow these three steps, and pay attention to how many layers of skins the burn penetrates, when coding your ED physician's burn treatment services.Step 1: Verify Burn Treatment OccurredThere are certain situations in which the physician might treat a burn that does not qualify for 16000-16030 service, confirms Sharon Richardson, RN, coder in the Compliance Office of Emergency Groups' Office in Arcadia, Calif.You'll include burn treatment in the ED E/M code "if the burn was minor enough that no real treatment was provided, such as dressing, debridement, or local treatment," explains Richardson. You'd most likely code an E/M for a very small non-blistered sunburn.Example: A patient reports to the ED with a reddened left arm; he says he was driving to the beach with his [...]
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