ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: A 62-year-old male patient reports to the ED via ambulance. The emergency medical technician (EMT) tells the physician that the patient blacked out briefly and fell, prompting a 911 call. In the ambulance, the patient was complaining of a stiff neck and a "bad headache." The EMT also says that the patient has a temperature of 102 degrees. The physician performs a level-five E/M service. Suspecting meningitis, she performs a lumbar puncture. Unfortunately, the physician was not able to obtain any fluid during the procedure. Can I still code for the lumbar puncture?California SubscriberAnswer: You may be able to code for the puncture, but be sure to indicate that it was a reduced service with the right modifier. On the claim, you could report the following: 62270 (Spinal puncture, lumbar, diagnostic) for the punctureModifier 52 (Reduced services) appended to 62270 to show that the physician did not complete the [...]