EM Coding Alert
Challenge Yourself with 3 Global Surgery Package Questions
Take charge of your E/M training and evaluate yourself.
Understanding how the post-operative days associated with a procedure impact your practice reimbursement will help you stop leaving money on the table. Test your global period know-how with these three questions to see where you need to focus your continuing education.
Hint: You can find the answers in the past three issues of the E/M Coding Alert.
Question 1: Your provider performs a 11055 (Paring or cutting of benign hyperkeratotic lesion [eg, corn or callus]; single lesion) to remove a benign lesion from a patient’s foot. Five days after surgery, the patient notices irritation and redness around the wound site and requires an evaluation to determine if the site is infected. Your physician prescribes antibiotics for a minor infection. Can you separately report an E/M code that happened within five days of the surgical procedure?
Question 2: Your provider performs a 11750 (Excision of nail and nail matrix, partial or complete [eg, ingrown or deformed nail], for permanent removal) procedure. She then sees the patient three days later in the office for routine post-op follow-up. Can you separately report the E/M service?
Question 3: Your provider performs an unlisted ocular muscle service or procedure, which you report with 67399 (Unlisted procedure, ocular muscle). What global period should you expect for this procedure?
Stay tuned: Be sure to read next month’s issue for the answers!
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