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General Surgery Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Bill All Scopes If No Parent

Published on Tue Jun 22, 2010

Question: The surgeon performs a biopsy with sigmoidoscopy followed by an endoscopic removal of a foreign body. Which codes should I report for these procedures?Montana SubscriberAnswer: In this case, neither scope is the base or parent procedure. Therefore, you would report both 45331 (Sigmoidoscopy, flexible; with biopsy, single or multiple) and 45332 (... with removal of foreign body).Bottom line: If your surgeon performs two scopes in the same family, neither of which is the base procedure, you may report both codes.Reader Questions and You Be the Coder were prepared with the assistance of Marcella Bucknam, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CPC-P, COBGC, CCC, manager of compliance education for the University of Washington Physicians Compliance Program.
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