General Surgery Coding Alert

CPT® and Medicare rules agree. When your surgeon uses a code that CPT® identifies with the words "separate procedure," you better check your claim carefully to make sure you won’t face denials. Look to CPT® for Definition CPT® surgery guidelines define separate-procedure codes as services "that are commonly carried out as an integral component of a total service or procedure…" The designation restricts when and how you can report separate-procedure codes with any other related procedures, according to the guidelines. For example: Under most circumstances, you shouldn’t report 44180 (Laparoscopy, surgical, enterolysis [freeing of intestinal adhesion] [separate procedure]) with other intestinal laparoscopy codes for the same patient on the same day. Follow Medicare Guidelines, Too. Medicare also gives clear instruction about when to use separate-procedure codes. According to Josie Dunn, CPC, at the University of Maryland Faculty Practices, Medicare states: "… the codes listed as ‘separate procedure’ should not be [...]