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General Surgery Coding Alert

CPT 2010:

# Leads the Way to Reworked Excision Codes

Published on Wed Jan 06, 2010

Overcome unraveling of CPT's numeric conventions with these tips. Relying on numerical order to ensure that you find the correct hemorrhoidectomy code? Watch out. Starting Jan. 1, you won't always find specific codes where you expect them -- and using an unspecified code when a specific code is available could compromise your pay. That's why CPT 2010 introduces the new # symbol to alert you to an out-of-order code. The "#" works like a flashing yellow light: Slow down, there might be something unexpected. Rather than moving groups of codes to new sections, the AMA has created another option. CPT will now resequence codes, in some instances, to avoid renumbering the codes, explained William T. Thorwarth Jr. MD, in "CPT 2010 Overview" at the CPT and RBRVS 2010 Annual Symposium's opening session in Chicago. Get Familiar With # for Numerical Order Disruption When you're coding a lesion excision, you usually assume [...]
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