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General Surgery Coding Alert

Telehealth 2024:
Maximize Your Surgeons’ E/M Options Next Year
Add this clip-and-save chart to your telehealth toolbox. After adjusting to telehealth ch... Read more
Correct Coding:
Navigate NCCI Edits for Cleaner Claims
Learn how modifiers may help. Maybe you're aware that your coding software performs quart... Read more
Reimbursement:
Don’t Let Medicare Participation Myths Hit Your Bottom Line
Non-PAR can have mixed results. Just because you choose “non-PAR” Medicare status fo... Read more
Reader Question:
Don’t Miss Subsequent Vessels
Question: Treating thrombosis, the surgeon accessed the initial artery, placed vascul... Read more
Reader Question:
Update Gastrostomy Tube Replacement Coding
Question: Our surgeon performed a percutaneous replacement of a gastrostomy tube. Alt... Read more
Reader Question:
Distinguish Modifier 52, 53
Question: During a screening colonoscopy, the surgeon documented that the patient did... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Identify Site for Hernia Repair With Other Procedures
Question: The surgeon performed a laparoscopic gallbladder removal for a 37 year old ... Read more
CPT® 2024:
See If E/M Revisions Could Change Your Coding
Keep 99211 the same. Get ready for CPT® 2024 updates to some evaluation and management (... Read more
ICD-10-CM:
Join in Breast Cancer Awareness With This Coding Quiz
Hint: Don't ignore ‘history' codes. When providers in your surgery practice perform br... Read more
Coding Quiz Answer:
Check Your Breast Cancer Dx Coding Awareness Here
See if your ICD-10-CM guideline knowledge is passable. After you've answered the quiz que... Read more
Office Visit:
Here Comes +G2211 for Extra E/M Pay
MPFS proposed rule slates implementation January 1. Your general surgeons could see a pay... Read more
Reader Questions:
Keep Family History HIPAA Compliant
Question: When our surgeon gets a referral for a procedure, the referring physician someti... Read more
Reader Questions:
Distinguish Foreign Body Removal Codes
Question: A patient presents two weeks after receiving two deep wounds in his upper arm fr... Read more
Reader Questions:
Go to MACs for Claims-Based NCCI Quandaries
Question: If I have a question about appealing a claim that has been denied due to an NCCI... Read more
Reader Questions:
Capture Relevant SDoH
Question: Our surgeon is treating a patient with diverticulosis, and the primary care phys... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Avoid These Appendectomy Pitfalls
Question: Our surgeon began a laparoscopic appendectomy for a patient with signs of an inf... Read more
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule:
See How 2024 Proposed Rule Could Affect Your Practice
Expect surgical procedure pay cut … again. General surgeons should be on the lookout fo... Read more
Query 4 Scenarios:
Code The Following Surgery Cases — Modifier(s) and All
Check your answers on page 4. Reporting procedures from your general surgeon's op report ... Read more
Code 4 Scenarios:
Check Your Scenario Answers — Modifier(s) and All
See the case examples on page 3. Now that you've read the four scenarios on page 3 and tr... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus Items That Count for E/M ‘Time’
Question: Our surgeon has performed an esophageal ablation of polyps for a patient in... Read more
Reader Questions:
Code Neoplasm Based On Specific Location
Question: Our surgeon performed a breast biopsy from the “central portion” of the... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know When Primary Payer is Medicare
Question: We have a patient on Medicare who is also insured through a group health p... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Check Treatment Depth for Debridement Code Selection
Question: We have a case in which the surgeon documents sharp selective debridement w... Read more
ICD-10-CM:
Prepare for 2024 Dx Codes Relevant to Your General Surgery Practice
Apply these changes beginning Oct. 1 With almost 400 ICD-10-CM code additions and many de... Read more
Catheter Coding:
Focus on Clean Swan-Ganz Claims
Understand CVA edits. Your surgeon might perform Swan-Ganz catheter (SWC) procedures for ... Read more
Appeals:
Use These 5 Tactics to Halt Denials
Prevent future errors by noticing current patterns. If you hate filing appeals for claim... Read more
Reader Questions:
Protect Your Practice With Updated ABN
Question: I'm new to our surgery practice, but I noticed that the ABN form we're usi... Read more
Reader Questions:
Use Unlisted Codes Appropriately
Question: During a laparoscopic procedure investigating a bulge in the patient's uppe... Read more
Reader Questions:
Code Final Dx First
Question: Our surgeon performed an exploratory EGD for a patient with persistent abd... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Solve Digital Evaluation Troubles
Question: Our surgeon wants to use the digital E/M codes, but we're having difficulty... Read more
Modifier 25:
Tighten Documentation Standards for E/M With Minor Surgery
Payers may make it harder to use this modifier. The good news is that Cigna once again de... Read more
Tech Update:
Code This When You Portal-Message Patients
Timing is everything. Treating a patient via a patient-portal conversation is an example... Read more
Medicare Policy:
Watch CMS Tighten Reins on Medicare Advantage Plans
Final rule focuses on equity and utilization review. If your practice provides services ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know When to Lead With Z Code
Question: Our surgeon performed a complex repair for a scar revision a year after the pati... Read more
Reader Questions:
Follow Rules for Medicare Overpayment
Question: Who is responsible for identifying and correcting overpayment in any Medicare re... Read more
Reader Questions:
Do This for Data Breach
Question: We identified a small data breach in our system that impacted 97 patients. Becau... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Focus ERCP Coding
Question: Our surgeon performed ERCP to remove three stones from the bile duct. The surgeo... Read more
Surgery Case:
Grasp Documentation Details for Pressure Ulcer Px and Dx Coding
 Distinguish physician work from other providers'. When your general surgeon treats... Read more
Telehealth:
Understand Virtual Visits Post-PHE
Keep up with digital encounters. Now that the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) has... Read more
Documentation:
Don’t Let ‘Authorization’ Lead Code Selection
Undercoding can cost you. When a scheduled surgical procedure takes an unexpected turn t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look to Documentation for ‘Acute’ or ‘Chronic’ Designation
Question: How can I tell if a condition is “acute” or “chronic?” I'm confuse... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Count on Consecutive Time
Question: One of our providers wants to bill an evaluation and management (E/M) visit... Read more
Reader Questions:
Use Modifier 51 With Caution
Question: When our surgeon performs FNA with ultrasound guidance at two anatomic site... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Consider Test Order for MDM
Question: During an office visit, the surgeon ordered specific lab tests for inflamma... Read more
CPT® 2023:
Delve Deeper For Hernia Repair Coding Update
Know size measurement rules. After a few months of coding hernia repairs using the CPT® ... Read more
Recognize Impact of 0-Day Global Period
As you just read in “Delve Deeper For Hernia Repair Coding Update,” CPT® 2023 delete... Read more
Practice Management:
Refresh Your HIPAA Compliance Know-How
Waivers end with PHE. With the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) this mon... Read more
E/M:
Follow This Expert Advice for Inpatient/Observation Codes
See when office care leads to ‘subsequent' hospital care. With the overhaul of hospit... Read more
Reader Questions:
Capture Mesh Removal
Question: Do the new anterior abdominal hernia repair codes include removal of mesh,... Read more
Reader Questions:
See The ESD EMR Difference
Question: During a colonoscopy, our surgeon documented removing a large colon polyp u... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Distinguish Lesion ‘Excision’ and ‘Destruction’ Codes
Question: The op report identifies a 1.5 cm basal cell carcinoma diagnosed by prior b... Read more
E/M:
Hone Critical Care Coding With CPT® and Medicare Rules
Don't unbundle 99291 services. Just because CPT® 2023 didn't revise critical care codes ... Read more
ICD-10-CM:
Know Your Anatomy to Master New Aortic Aneurysm Dx Options
Ignore ‘Code first' notes at your peril. If your practice includes vascular surgery, ... Read more
COVID-19:
Prepare Your Practice for the PHE’s End
Identify expiring waivers that impact your surgeons. The COVID-19 public health emergen... Read more
Reader Questions:
Check Out Hot Biopsy Forceps
Question: The surgeon performed a “hot biopsy” for a polypectomy, according to th... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Forget to ‘Code First’
Question: Our surgeon performed a colonoscopy for a patient with a personal history o... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Drop History and Exam
Question: With all the changes to E/M codes starting with office codes and now many o... Read more
Reader Questions:
Master This MUE ‘Override’ Guidance
Question: Our surgeon performed an open procedure and excised two distinct stomach b... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Use Modifier 22 Instead of ‘Separate Procedure’
Question: During a cholecystectomy using the laparoscope, the surgeon documented spen... Read more
Case Study:
Highlight Tonsillectomy Coding Nuance With This Op Note
Don't miss the pathogen Dx code. Tonsillectomy may be an everyday occurrence for general... Read more
Vascular Surgery:
Follow 5 Tips for Clean Mechanical Thrombectomy Claims
Distinguish ‘primary' and ‘secondary' procedures. When your vascular surgeons remove ... Read more
Practice Management:
Query Providers This Way to Improve Documentation
Focus on guidelines for complete records. You know that clinical documentation is key ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Look for Long COVID Dx Guidance
Question: Our surgeon stated that a patient had “long COVID” as a secondary diag... Read more
Reader Questions:
Keep On Top of QPP Updates
Question: I'm newly in charge of the QPP program for our practice, and I'm wondering ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Avoid This Locum Tenens Mistake
Question: We have a surgeon who left our practice, and we're wondering if we can stil... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Avoid 99211 for New Patient
Question: I've been told I should use 99211 for a nurse's time with a new patient in ... Read more
Coverage Rules:
Capture Pay for Expanded CRC Screening Procedures
See impact on colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy. If you haven't incorporated colorecta... Read more
2023 Appropriations:
Discover 4 CAA Actions That General Surgeons Need
You'll get more than conversion factor relief. You heard the outcry over impending Medi... Read more
HIPAA:
Avoid a Security Breach With These Email Tips
Continuously coach staff for best protection. One of the easiest ways for your practice... Read more
Reader Questions:
Match Code Selection to Documented EGD Work
Question: Our surgeon advanced a scope through the esophagus into the stomach using ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Drill Down to Dx Specifics for Thromboendarterectomy Case
Question: Our vascular surgeon performed a right popliteal endarterectomy for a patie... Read more
Reader Questions:
Prepare for the COVID-19 PHE Expiration
Question: Did the COVID-19 public health emergency expire? Iowa Subscriber Answer:&... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Clip This Handy ‘Prolonged Service’ Chart
Question: I'm very confused by the change to prolonged service coding for 2023. Could... Read more
CPT® 2023:
Capture Pay for Mesh Implantation, Suture/Staple Removal
Look for new and revised codes. General surgeons have several new and revised integumenta... Read more
MPFS 2023:
Navigate Telehealth Rules Through PHE and Beyond
Don't miss CPT® 2023 E/M code changes. The rapid expansion of Medicare payment for tele... Read more
CPT® 2023:
Don’t Miss New Appendix S for AI Taxonomy
Understand different levels of machine involvement. If you missed the fact that the CPT®... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don’t Count All Time for E/M
Question: Now that we can code many E/M services based on time, and we can use more t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus Carotid Artery Endarterectomy Coding
Question: Our surgeon treated a patient with severe blockage of the right carotid ar... Read more
Reader Questions:
Get MIPS Reweighting for COVID-19 Hardship
Question: Our general surgery practice was strongly impacted by COVID-19, and we'd li... Read more
Reader Questions:
Classify Internal and External Hemorrhoid Case
Question: Our surgeon excised a column of hemorrhoids that begins above the denate li... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Clarify ‘Established Patient’
Question: We have a new general surgeon in our group who is now treating one patient ... Read more
CPT® 2023:
Sidestep 4 Pitfalls When Reporting E/M by Time
Make sure to document non-face-to-face work. Now that CPT® has revised the list of eval... Read more
Medicare Outlook:
Prepare for Big Fee Reduction in 2023
You could face negative 8.5 percent adjustment unless Congress intervenes. As if industry... Read more
Surprise Billing:
Abide By Final ‘No Surprises Act’ in Your Surgery Practice
Notice that court decisions impact the rules. With yet another round of modifications to ... Read more
Reader Question:
Pinpoint Age for Catheter Code Selection
Question: Our surgeon inserted a central venous access catheter in a 4-year-old patie... Read more
Reader Question:
Don’t Tread on HIPAA Right of Access
Question: We have a patient with a large balance who has not responded to requests fo... Read more
Reader Question:
Cancel This 43233 Without Dilation
Question: During an upper GI endoscopy, the surgeon had difficulty passing the dilato... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Skip Removal Codes
Question: How should we code a case where the surgeon removes obstructive material fr... Read more
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