Neurosurgery Coding Alert
Removal of Pseudoarthrosis
Laurie Loftesness, Practice Manager
Antelope Valley Neuroscience
Lancaster, Calif.
Answer: The removal of the old pseudoarthrosis is considered part of the re-exploration, says Susan Callaway-Stradley, CPC, CCS-P, an independent coding consultant and educator in North Augusta, S.C. If the removal is so complex that it significantly extends the time and effort to perform the procedure, then the surgeon may seek extra reimbursement by submitting the claim with an operative report and adding modifier -22 (unusual procedural services) to the re-exploration code.
Neurosurgery Coding Alert
- Precise Coding Key for Spinal Cord Stimulation Reimbursement
Surgical insertion of spinal cord neurostimulators for pain management is a complicated related/staged surgical procedure [...] - Get Paid For E/M Services Billed With Trauma Calls
Insurance carriers often bundle evaluation and management (E/M) services that result in a decision to [...] - Ensure Maximum Pay Up for Multiple Procedures Like ACDF
When neurosurgeons perform multiple surgical procedures on a patient, many major independent carriers pay 100 [...] - Integrated Billing Strategies for Co-surgeries
Co-surgeons claims often are denied because they each bill as the only physician involved or [...] - You Be the Coder:
Coding Add-on Procedures
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - Reader Question:
Considering New Procedures
Question: Our neurosurgeon is looking into new procedures to add to his practice. He wants [...] - Reader Question:
Removal of Pseudoarthrosis
Question: Our physician wants us to code for the removal of pseudoarthrosis, redo laminotomy (L4/L5) [...] - CPT 2000 Changes Affect Neurosurgeons
A number of codes that affect neurosurgeons have been added, deleted or changed in CPT [...]
