General Surgery Coding Alert

CCI Edits:

44950, 44970 Appendectomies Catch More Restrictions Under CCI 17.3

Plus: CMS reverses some venipuncture and catheter placement edits. Your general surgeon may remove a patient's appendix during another laparoscopic or open abdominal surgery -- but don't expect payment for the appendectomy, thanks to new edit pairs in the latest Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) update. CCI version 17.3, which takes effect Oct. 1, offers 1,380 new edit pairs and 835 terminated bundles, according to an analysis by Frank Cohen, MPA, MBB, principal and senior analyst with The Frank Cohen Group, LLC. Let us help you peer through the numbers to learn the CCI changes that will impact your general surgery practice. Expand Appendectomy Billing Restrictions Prior to CCI 17.3, CMS already bundled lap appendectomy (44970, Laparoscopy, surgical, appendectomy) as the column 2 (component) code to multiple procedures from the surgical laparoscopy CPT® sections for esophagus, stomach, bariatric surgery, intestines, rectum, liver, billiary tract, and abdomen. These edits all show a modifier [...]
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