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General Surgery Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Base Bilateral Coding on Payer Preference

Published on Tue Sep 01, 2009

Question: What is the correct way to code the treatment of multiple varicose veins by endovenous ablation therapy when the patient has bilateral venous incompetence in the greater saphenous veins as well as incompetent perforators bilateral and deep system incompetence? Our office codes as follows: 36475-LT, 36476-LT, 36475-RT,36476-RT using one unit on each code listed. Is this correct coding? Minnesota Subscriber Answer:. Essentially you have the right codes but you may be missing some revenue. You may also be better off using modifier 50 (Bilateral procedure) rather than LT (Left side) and RT (Right side) in some cases, depending on the payer. In this case: You can apply modifier 50 to both 36475 (Endovenous ablation therapy of incompetent vein, extremity, inclusive of all imaging guidance and monitoring, percutaneous, radiofrequency; first vein treated) and +36476 (... second and subsequent veins treated in a single extremity, each through separate access sites [List [...]
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