ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: What is the proper code for destruction of three plantar warts from a patient’s left foot? I was going to use 17000 and +17003.

Alabama Subscriber

Answer: You should not report 17000 (Destruction (eg, laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement), premalignant lesions (eg, actinic keratoses); first lesion) and +17003 (… second through 14 lesions, each (List separately in addition to code for first lesion)). Though the descriptors might make sense for this procedure, there is a better pair of codes for plantar wart destruction. In the instructions below 17000 and +17003, CPT^® instructs “For destruction of common or plantar warts, see 17110, 17111.”

So, on your claim you’ll report 17110 (Destruction (eg, laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement), of benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions; up to 14 lesions) for all three destructions. Don’t forget to append modifier LT (Left side) to 17110 to indicate laterality.

Also: Append B07.0 (Plantar wart) to 17110 to represent the patient’s injury.