Internal Medicine Coding Alert
Reader Questions:
Choose Either 17110 or 17111 for Removal, Not Both Codes
Published on Thu Mar 17, 2011
Question:
West Virginia Subscriber
Answer:
You shouldn't need to include modifiers such as LT (Left side) or RT (Right side). Instead, count the number of lesions removed and submit either 17110 (Destruction [e.g., laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement], of benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions; up to 14 lesions) or 17111 (...15 or more lesions).Explanation:
The code descriptors specify the total number of lesions removed but don't distinguish between body areas. Therefore, the lesions included in your code count can be from multiple anatomic sites.Remember:
Note that 17111 is not an add-on code, so you shouldn't report 17110 and 17111 on the same claim. This "either/or" code selection differs from similar code families such as destruction codes 17000-17004 that have a "single lesion" code and associated add-on codes.Other Articles in this issue of
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