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Internal Medicine Coding Alert

5 Steps Help You Pinpoint the Right Flu Shot Code Every Time
CMS changed the rules for flu shot diagnoses -- get the details below Flu season is u... Read more
NEWS BRIEF ~ Medicare Retires G0107 for Fecal-Occult Blood Testing
Look to 82270 for FOBT coding Internal medicine coders may feel as if they just got up to ... Read more
Get Your Flu Shot Coding on Track With This Helpful Tool
Follow the steps below to select the right code every time If your head spins when you're... Read more
ICD-9 QUIZ ~ Code the Story of Your Patient's Life
Can you find the diagnosis codes in this patient's history? Sometimes it may seem as if t... Read more
READER QUESTION ~ You Can Bill Flu Shot Without E/M
Question: A new patient presented to our office for the sole reason of getting a flu shot.... Read more
READER QUESTION ~ Know Your ICD-9 Order for Drug Interactions
Question: Our patient injected too much insulin and experienced dizziness and blurred visi... Read more
READER QUESTION ~ Fake Complaint Requires Real Diagnosis Code
Question: Our internist saw a patient who complained of migraine pain. After examining the... Read more
READER QUESTION ~ Research Cause of Poor Ambulation
Question: What is the best diagnosis that we should use for poor ambulation?California Sub... Read more
READER QUESTION ~ Use Preventive Counseling Codes When Necessary
Question: Our internist spent 30 minutes with an established patient discussing and prescr... Read more
READER QUESTION ~ Get Alert to Consciousness Codes
Question: Our internist saw a patient and documented the reason for the visit as "Episodes... Read more
YOU BE THE CODER ~ Who Says You Can't Go Home?
Question: One of my internists wants to make house calls for a select few patients. How sh... Read more
CPT 2007 Sneak Peek:
Revisions Tighten Up Consult Language, Offer New Warfarin Code
Get ready for the new edition, which takes effect Jan. 1 If you've been wondering how you ... Read more
Experts' Advice:
Stop Giving Away Care Plan Oversight Services for Free
Don't let payers undervalue your physician's time performing CPO Your internist can earn u... Read more
Include These Items in Your CPO Claims
Although it isn't necessary for the internist to see the patient face-to-face when you rep... Read more
NCCI News:
Expect Denials if You Report Nursing Facility Codes Together
No modifier can separate the new edits bundling codes in the 99304 series The new edition ... Read more
Reader Question ~ 'Per Day' Refers to Calendar Days
Question: An elderly patient of ours fell off of a ladder and presented with leg pain for ... Read more
Reader Question ~ Migraine Visit Level Varies
Question: Which level of E/M service should I report when a patient reports to our practic... Read more
Reader Question ~ Use V58.6x for Long-Term Medication
Question: I report V58.69 (Long-term [current] use of other medications) when the physicia... Read more
Reader Question ~ Achieve the Right HPI Level Every Time
Question: An internal chart audit of our E/M claims showed that our history of present ill... Read more
Reader Question ~ Differentiate Between Abscess, Hematoma Codes
Question: Our physician documented treating an abscess on a patient's knee due to a fall, ... Read more
Reader Question ~ Hypoglycemia Codes Differ Greatly
Question: Our physician saw a hypoglycemic patient, but we aren't sure which hypoglycemia ... Read more
You Be the Coder ~ Get Specifics on Tissue Infections
Question: Our internist treated a soft-tissue infection on a patient's finger. Which diagn... Read more
3 FAQs Help You Achieve Diagnosis
Don't limit yourself to just one ICD-9 codeIf you don't know what differentiates an acute ... Read more
Experts Explain Whether You Can Report Suture Removal
Hint: Modifier 52 won't cure all of your coding woes Your suture-removal services can be p... Read more
Reader Question ~ HPV Vaccine Requires More Than 1 Code
HPV Vaccine Requires More Than 1 Code Question: We have started administering the new huma... Read more
Reader Question ~ Urinalysis With E/M May Not Require Modifier
Question: Can we report both a urinalysis and an E/M code? Is a modifier required?Alabama ... Read more
Reader Question ~ Count on 36415 Payment for Venipuncture
Count on 36415 Payment for Venipuncture Question: When billing 36415 x 7 (Collection of ve... Read more
Reader Question ~ Check Thyroid Biopsy Location Before Coding
Question: We report a fine needle aspiration for a thyroid biopsy with codes 10021 or 1002... Read more
Reader Question ~ Most MMSEs Bundle Into E/M
Question: What is the correct way to bill for a mini-mental status examination (MMSE)? A n... Read more
You Be the Coder ~ Can We Report 93015-26 for Stress Test?
Question: Our internist performed a stress test on the treadmill, but we do not own the tr... Read more
Charge the Right Amount for Well Woman Checks Every Time
4 payer-specific steps unlock reimbursement for these common servicesCoding all female com... Read more
Combat Dual E/M Service Denials With 2 Tried-and-True Strategies
Proactive measures are your best defenseYou can avoid losing payment for a sick visit with... Read more
Watch Out for 3 CMS Changes That Will Affect Your Practice
Experts reveal a new way to determine modifier 25 useWhen you rev staff up for fall, make ... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Don't Confuse Incident-To and TP Indicators
Question: How should I code incident-to when I am in the office? What modifier should I us... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
You Can Give 'Negative' Credit Under HPI
Question: I have found information and heard at seminars conflicting information regarding... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Can 76 Be on 1 or 2 Service Dates?
Question: I thought modifier 76 was for same-day repeat procedures, but the August 2006 In... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
POS Gives Clue to NF Service's Codeability
Question: An internist discharges a patient from the hospital and then admits him to a nur... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Do Modifiers Matter for E/Ms With Pulse Oximetry?
Question: I have tried several times to bill for O2 saturation (94760 or 94761) along with... Read more
Get the Lowdown on What the DRE/FOBT Codes for 2006 Really Mean
Code developers sort out 82270, 82272, G0107 misconceptionsWhen something's new, it always... Read more
4 Tips Guarantee Top-Notch Chronic Condition Coding
Hint:  If the condition is irrelevant to treatment, leave it off your claimRecognizin... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
First Sequence SNF Care Reason
Question: A skilled nursing facility resident is receiving care for late effects of a cere... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Past Medical History Might Not Count as ROS
Question: When an internist lists an organ system and documents past medical/surgical hist... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Modifier 59 Doesn't Override Payment Reduction
Question: When I remove one lesion and biopsy another with an uncertain nature, Medicare p... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Re-Pap Encounter Might Warrant Separate E/M
Question: Should I report an office visit in addition to a repeat Pap smear?Massachusetts ... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Modifier 51 Necessity Depends on Payer
Question: Do we need to append modifier 51 to our surgical claims on subsequent lines of s... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Look to 0074T for Online Consults
Question: I recently read that we can charge insurers for our physician's online consultat... Read more
You Be the Coder:
85 or 100 Percent Pay Hinges on These Criteria
Question: A 70-year-old male patient makes an appointment for an initial visit with an int... Read more
Bust 6 Myths About Diabetes CPT, ICD-9--and HCPCS!--Coding
Experts allay your fears about reporting clinical measurements using PVRPDon't let the rum... Read more
Are You Performing Tests That Qualify for 83037-QW? Find Out Here
A1C checks may fall under a new lab codeThe AMA may have assigned a new CPT code to an A1C... Read more
Your Measurement Coding Plan Should Conform to These Rules
This clip-and-save makes crosswalking HCPCS G codes with CPT F codes a breezeIf you're jus... Read more
E/M Quiz:
Test Your Review-of-Systems Knowledge
2 scenarios from our experts help you improve your E/M skillsBefore you report any E/M pro... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Look to CLFS, Not NPFS, for 82272 Rate
Question: The 2006 CPT manual lists 82272. Why can I not find this code on the 2006 physic... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Focus on Illness When Coding Pre-Op Dx
Question: I read June 2006's Internal Medicine Coding Alert article on preoperative exams,... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
List 11441 for Mole Removal
Question: What is the appropriate code for "removal of mole"? I've searched the entire CPT... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Medication Doesn't Snare Diagnosis
Question: Can we code a condition or disease if the internist notes in the documentation t... Read more
YOU Be The Coder!
What Day Qualifies for 99221-99233?Question: After an internist examines a patient in his ... Read more
'Tell It Like It Is' Bronchospasm Dx's Should Make Coding -- and Reimbursement -- Easier
Now you can describe significant pain with these new ICD-9 codes Simpler times ahead: Begi... Read more
Educate Your Internists On Aftercare's New Requirement
ICD-9 2007 lets you break out dressing change, suture removal Your summer coding educatio... Read more
Case Study:
Combat Pre-Op Exam Denials With These Front-Line Strategies
Experts walk you through solving a Medicare 99252-SNF payment problem The next time Medica... Read more
Reader Questions:
Unbundling Error Costs Practice $2.50+
Question: On a claim for 94760-91 x 2, the insurer denied the second pulse oximetry as unb... Read more
Reader Questions:
Could a New Problem Be a Consult Opportunity?
Question: A patient originally came to our office based on a referral for a procedure. The... Read more
Reader Questions:
93018--Find Out When to Break Test Code
Question: An internist orders a cardiac stress test on a hospital patient who complains of... Read more
Reader Questions:
Avoid This No-Credit History Statement
Question: If an internist marks a Medicare patient's history element as "noncontributory,"... Read more
Reader Questions:
Focus Your Colonoscopy Coding on These 2 Words
Question: When performing a colonoscopy, an internist finds a miniscule polyp. He applies ... Read more
You be the Coder:
Quickly Unravel 99354-99355's Time Requirements
Question: An internist saw a Medicare patient with an extremely complicated history and me... Read more
Read This to Make Sure You're Not in a Hearing Service Coding Rut
Surprise:  Internists can use screening, threshold test codesYou won't receive $0 whe... Read more
Test Your TP Coding Skills With 3 Scenarios
Tip:  Resident's involvement requires 'G' modifier Are you upcoding ... Read more
VA Coders, Beware:
TA Claims Now Need New Modifier
Make 3 changes to VA superbillUpdating Veterans Affairs (VA) charge sheets with a single t... Read more
Ace Your Hearing Assessment Exam Coding in 4 Easy Steps
Break 92552-92557 into sound, word, and combo testsIt's easy to drift off course when navi... Read more
A Timesaving Tool Spotlights 92551-92557's Differences
Use this flowchart to code hearing services in 3 minutes flatDon't let your unfamiliarity ... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Is 719.xx Putting You in Hot Water?
Question: I pulled several of our fracture stabilization charts and noted that they all co... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
ED Codes Aren't Just ED Physician Territory
Question: An emergency department (ED) physician asked our internist to see a patient with... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Gain $19 When Patient Supplies B-12
Question: We have many patients who have been given a prescription for vitamin B-12. They ... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Warning--Rest Home, NF Aren't the Same
Question: Should I use the same codes when an internist performs an E/M service on a rest ... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Sclerotherapy Payment May Hinge on 454
Question: Does Medicare cover sclerotherapy for varicose veins with 36470 and 36471? If so... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Nix Overcoding Cardio Blood Tests
Question: An internist performs three cardiovascular screening blood tests on a Medicare p... Read more
Let These Surefire Tips Strengthen Your Modifier 25 Coding
Here's how to determine whether your documentation will withstand OIG scrutiny Get ready: ... Read more
Got Same-Day E/M Services? Use These Quick Strategies
With effort, you can get payment for unrelated problems If a patient visits your offi... Read more
YOU Be the Coder:
Payable CPT Codes
Question: Should we bill exactly the same group of codes to all payers, or can we submit... Read more
Use New Codes to Capture Educational-Services Pay
Find out what you need to know about patient self-management Because your plate is full re... Read more
Get the Lowdown On Reporting Special Services
New and revised codes may result in greater coverage Although Medicare doesn't reimburse c... Read more
Reader Questions:
Check Payer's 99211 Supervision Rules
Question: Does CPT's note following 90772 mean that I may report 99211 for a physician-ord... Read more
Reader Questions:
Review Insurer's Modifier Policies
Question: A mother brings her son in for a non-healing spot on his hand. The physician dia... Read more
Reader Questions:
Spirometry Determines 94070 vs. 95070
Question: What is the difference between codes 94070 and 95070?Indiana Subscriber Answer: ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Use 327.23 for Specified Organic Sleep Apnea
Question: What is organic sleep apnea? My physician has been using 780.57 to report sleep ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Location Doesn't Change 6-Minute Walk Coding
Question: My doctor has always performed six-minute walk tests in the hospital and reporte... Read more
Make 3 Changes to Your Nebulizer Coding And Slash Your Denials
Key:  Incorporate the HCPCS DuoNeb supply codeYou can keep payment rolling in for inh... Read more
Overhaul Remicade Coding With 6 Fundamentals for 2006
CPT and CMS agree that these infusions fall into chemotherapy arenaCPT's restructuring of ... Read more
Your Search for Applicable Remicade Infusion Codes Ends Here
Easily navigate 3 years of reporting methods with this guideDon't let CMS and CPT's annual... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Fax Your Way to Meeting New Consult Criteria
Question: To use a consultation code, a coworker thinks we should make sure the requesting... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Anticipate Rolling Back to 2005 Rates
Question: Will I need to resubmit the claims I have submitted in 2006 to claim the correct... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
How to Code After-Hours Emergency
Question: I returned to the office at midnight to see a cardiac dysrhythmias patient. Beca... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Bust the E/M Bundle Myth
Question: An internist sees a patient on rounds in the morning. The hospital staff calls t... Read more
Capture Diabetes Counseling Services With This Easy-to-Implement Action Plan
Medicare will cover MNT, DSMT--but you must meet these requirementsWith the number of diab... Read more
Take an Extra Step for Infusions Involving Multiple Substances
Warning:  Don't report hydration therapy for drug administration fluidYou can avoid s... Read more
Green Light 59 Appendage When Claim Meets 2 Criteria
These examples teach you to properly code this often-misused modifierThere's no better tim... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Separate Arterial, Venous Study
Question: When an internist makes a definitive diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease (P... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Break Down Hospital Stress Test
Question: A patient complains of chest pain (786.50) and heart palpitations (785.1). The i... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Reconsider Submitting Same-Day FOBTs
Question: The National Correct Coding Initiative edits state that I can bill both 82270 an... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Avoid Bronchitis Denials by Using These Terms
Question: When I use 491.9, payers often deny the code and request additional information.... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Separately Report Same-Day Hospital Discharge, NF Admit
Question: When an internist discharges a patient from a hospital and admits him to a nursi... Read more
You Be the Coder:
How to Code Multiple Injections
Question: An internist diagnoses a patient with bronchitis and gives him a Rocephin inject... Read more
Buckle Down to Learn 1 More IV Infusion Coding Method--and Hope It's the Last
Plus:  CPT 2006 adopts CMS' 2005 drug administration codesMedicare and private insure... Read more
Get Up to Speed on Drug Administration Coding for 2006
Clip and save these important infusion crosswalksBeginning Jan. 1, you can quickly submit ... Read more
These Clues Help You Choose Among 3 FOBT Codes
Reserve new code 82272 for analysis of in-office single-specimen collectionYou can keep pa... Read more
Master the Female Anatomy for Higher Ob-Gyn Pay-up
Presented by:  Melanie Witt, RN, CPC, MA The following supplement to Radiology C... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Submit 5 Numbers for Asthma ICD-9 Code
Question: When reporting an asthma diagnosis, do I need a fifth digit?North Carolina Subsc... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Apply Universal New Patient Definition
Question: An internist in our group provides an E/M service to a hospital inpatient. If th... Read more
READER QUESTIONS:
Beware--CPT Now Requires Modifier 25 With 90772
Question: An internist performs a significant, separately identifiable E/M service for a 6... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Correctly Code Dermabond Repairs
Question: An internist closes a 68-year-old female's 2-centimeter superficial thigh wound ... Read more
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