Gastroenterology Coding Alert

If the surgeon spends double time on 45385, bill with modifier 22.If you know how to work out the type of scope, surgical technique, and polyp location from your GI's colonoscopywith- polypectomy claim, you're half way into coding success. But you also have to recognize the different types of polyp removal, and the removal method used or you could watch your effort just go down the drain.Here are three tips on what you should not do.1. Don't Overlook Your Physician's Colonoscopy, Polypectomy TechniqueThe key is to understand your GI's operative report. If you look closely, you should be able to verify if she actually performed a colonoscopy, and what method she used to remove the polyp (either with biopsy or snare technique). CPT® carries different codes for polypectomies, and it's important that you know which technique your physician used to bill the service correctly, warns Dena Rumisek, biller for Grand [...]