Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question: Can you please tell me what code I should report when our gastroenterologist places a small bowel capsule using EGD. Also, tell me should the date of service be on the day the capsule is placed or on the day the data is read?West Virginia SubscriberAnswer: When your gastroenterologist uses capsule endoscopy to capture images of the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the ileum, you will have to report the procedure using 91110 (Gastrointestinal tract imaging, intraluminal [e.g., capsule endoscopy], esophagus through ileum, with physician interpretation and report). Usually, the patient will swallow the pill cam using water. But, sometimes, your gastroenterologist might resort to placing the capsule endoscopically by performing an EGD to push the capsule beyond the pylorus. In such a case scenario, you have to report the capsule endoscopy study with a modifier 52 (Reduced services) appended to the CPT® code 91110.This is necessary because [...]