Neurosurgery Coding Alert
You Be the Coder ~ Bone Debridement During a Facetectomy
Published on Wed Jun 20, 2007
Question: A patient with osteomyelitis of the spine reports for treatment. The surgeon performs a cervical facetectomy and also debrides the bone. Can we report 11044 for the debridement with the spine code?
North Dakota Subscriber
Answer: No, you cannot report 11044 (Debride-ment; skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle and bone) in this instance.
Why? The Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) bundles bone debridement into laminectomy codes.
On the claim, report 63045 (Laminectomy, facetectomy and foraminotomy [unilateral or bilateral with decompression of spinal cord, cauda equina and/or nerve root(s) (e.g., spinal or lateral recess stenosis)], single vertebral segment; cervical) for the service.
Other Articles in this issue of
Neurosurgery Coding Alert
- Check Op Sites Before Coding Tumor Excision/Hematoma Evacuation
If you recognize separate sites, you could ethically earn more $$ on the claim Patients [...] - Psych Tests Bundled Into Functional Brain Mapping Code
There still isn't a list of accepted diagnoses for 96020 There is good news surrounding [...] - You Be the Coder ~ Bone Debridement During a Facetectomy
Question: A patient with osteomyelitis of the spine reports for treatment. The surgeon performs a [...] - Clip & Save ~ Brain Tumor Symptoms Aren't All in Patients' Heads
Headaches are common, but other problems could signal trouble, too Did you know that someone [...] - Reader Question ~ Established Care Plan a Must for Incident-to Billing
Question: If a Medicare patient sees one of our nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) for an E/M [...] - Reader Question ~ Know Surgeon's Role, Then Choose Admit Code
Question: The neurosurgeon admits a patient with neck injuries through the emergency department (ED). During [...] - Reader Question ~ Most Second-Opinion Visits Are Not Consults
Question: Since CPT no longer carries the confirmatory consultation codes, how would I report the [...] - Reader Question ~ Leave Modifier 50 Off Decompression Claim
Question: An established patient with lumbar stenosis reports to the surgeon. After a level-three E/M [...] - Reader Question ~ Observe PHI Rules for Patients and Staff
Question: How should a medical facility handle employees- access to their own medical records or [...]
View All
