2007 Skin Prep Codes Could Mean More Fitting Payments
Published on Thu Jan 26, 2006
Anatomic location is now a factor for graft preparation CPT 2007 brings you four new codes for surgical skin preparation, which will allow for more precise identification of the procedures your surgeon performs -- and which might result in more equitable payments as well.
Out with the old: Previously, CPT listed two codes to identify surgical preparation or creation of a graft recipient site by excision (15000 for the first 100 sq cm or 1 percent of the body area of infants and children, and +15001 for each additional 100 sq cm or 1 percent of body area of infants and children).
In with the new: CPT 2007 deletes 15000 and 15001 and replaces them with the following:
- 15002 -- Surgical preparation or creation of recipient site by excision of open wounds, burn eschar or scar (including subcutaneous tissues), or incisional release of scar contracture, trunk, arms, legs; first 100 sq cm or 1% of body area of infants and children
- +15003 -- - each additional 100 sq cm or each additional 1% of body area of infants and children (list separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
- 15004 -- Surgical preparation or creation of recipient site by excision of open wounds, burn eschar or scar (including subcutaneous tissues), or incisional release of scar contracture, face, scalp, eyelids, mouth, neck, ears, orbits, genitalia, hands, feet and/or multiple digits; first 100 sq cm or 1% of body area of infants and children
- +15005 -- - each additional 100 sq cm or each additional 1% of body area of infants and children (list separately in addition to code for primary procedure).
-I think this is a positive development,- says John F. Bishop, PA-C, CPC, MS, CWS, president of Tampa, Fla.-based Bishop & Associates. -The skin graft and replacement codes are themselves divided according to anatomic area, primarily because the face, scalp, eyelids, hands and so on require more work and a greater level of precision than the chest or back or thigh, for instance. As a result, codes describing grafts to the face and other delicate areas reimburse at a greater rate than those describing grafts to the trunk, arms and legs.-
The good news: Although Medicare has not yet released the 2007 physician fee schedule, Bishop predicts that 15004 and 15005 (which describe site preparation for the delicate areas of face, scalp, etc.) will likewise reimburse better than 15002-15003 (which describe preparation of the trunk, arms or legs).
In any case, 15002-15005 will better describe the work the surgeon performs than the previous codes (15000-15001), which did not differentiate by location. Claim Preparation in Addition to Graft Procedures Aside from the better anatomic specificity that 15002-15005 afford, you-ll apply these codes in much the same fashion as the [...]
