Advanced Search

Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Diagnosis Coding:
Assure Optimal Reimbursement Through Specificity
A common problem in ob/gyn diagnosis coding is the failure to reach the highest possible l... Read more
Modifiers -51, -58, -59, -79:
When are Procedures/Services Multiple, Staged, Distinct or Unrelated?
Meeting the multifaceted needs of women patients, the ob/gyn often performs more than one ... Read more
Coding Case Study:
Ovarian Surgery, Cancer Present or Not
Editors Note: The following case was developed by various members of OCAs Editorial Adviso... Read more
Reader Questions:
Seeing Midwife and Physician on Same Day
Question: Our Certified Nurse Midwife is seeing GYN patients for routine exams. During th... Read more
Reader Questions:
Performing Office Sonohysterograms
Question: Our office performs sonohysterograms and we are coding as follows: 76831 Hyster... Read more
Reader Questions:
Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Anomalies
Question: How do you code for a 15-23 week pregnancy induced with Pitocin; with subsequent... Read more
Reader Questions:
Billing For Another Facility
Question: We are supplying physician coverage twice a month at a facility in another town.... Read more
Reader Questions:
C-Section Assist
Question: How do I code an assist during a c-section?Kathy Graves, Business Office Manage... Read more
Reader Questions:
Abnormal Pap Smear
Question: What would be the proper dx code for identifying the type of cells in an abnorm... Read more
Reader Questions:
Screening Exam or E/M Service?
Question: A patient comes in for an annual gyn exam, presents with no complaints, but is o... Read more
Coding for Ob Care When the Ob/Gyn Does Not Perform the Delivery
Two to three times a yearmore often than shed likecoder Jeanne Folmer has to submit charge... Read more
Bolster Your Reimbursement by Using Prolonged Services Codes
You should be charging for all the time you spend seeing a patient. Especially in those lo... Read more
Using Time to Determine E/M Codes
When choosing which E/M code to use for a particular service, coders must check to see whe... Read more
Coding Case Study:
When a Laparoscopy Becomes a Laparotomy
Editors Note: This case is courtesy of Bonnie Lewis of Twin Falls, ID. Ob-Gyn Coding Aler... Read more
Notable 1999 CPT Changes for Ob-Gyn Practices
The 1999 CPT books have hit the streets,and its time to figure out what applies to the ob/... Read more
Reader Questions:
Pap Smear Preperation
Question: Can you code for the preparation of the Pap smear slide using 99000?An anonymous... Read more
Reader Questions:
Bureaucrats Prefer Wrong Pap Code
Question: The laboratory where we submit specimens insists that we should be using the V7... Read more
Reader Questions:
Culdocentesis vs. Colpocentesis
Question: How do I code for culdocentesis? [Aspiration of fluid from the rectouterine sp... Read more
Reader Questions:
Can an OB Code for Newborn Exam?
Question: When is the ob/gyn that delivers the newborn entitled to bill for newborn care? ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Vaginal Septum Excision
Question: What is the procedural code that would be used for an excision of a longitudinal... Read more
Reader Questions:
Ultrasound Code
Question: What is the right ICD-9 code for performing an ultrasound early in pregnancy bec... Read more
Diagnosis Codes for Inflammatory Disease of Female Pelvic Organs
When the physician writes pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in the diagnosis section of th... Read more
Increase Claim Reimbursement with Modifier -22
Given a description of the -22 modifier, it may appear to be an easy ticket for getting mo... Read more
Case Study:
Maximizing Payup on a Complicated Gyn Surgery
Editors Note: The following case comes from several members of our Editorial Advisory Boar... Read more
Track Your Coding Process Effectiveness with Six Easy Indicators
Other than noting [claim] rejection reasons and rates many practices dont have a good esti... Read more
Reader Questions:
58120 vs. 56381
Question: My coding dilemma is whether I should code for a D&C or a hysteroscopy when both... Read more
Reader Questions:
Coding for Foley Catheter to Induce Labor
Question: When an ob patient has reached her estimated date of delivery, our physician som... Read more
Untangling the Web of OB Ultrasounds
Ultrasound screening is increasingly a more common practice in obstetrical care. According... Read more
Streamline Your Surgical Billing with Strategic Pre-Coding
Most ob/gyn practices have their RNs precertify their surgeriesthat is, the nurses call th... Read more
Case Study:
Coding for the Mildly Complicated Pregnancy
Editors Note: This months case comes from a compilation of many questions that Ob-Gyn Codi... Read more
Medicare Now Covers Bone Mass Measurements
Effective July 1, 1998, bone mass measurements to screen women for signs of osteoporosis a... Read more
Reader Questions:
Coding Prenatal Care Delivered by Multiple Providers under the Same Tax ID Number
Question: How would you code prenatal care delivered by multiple providers who are under ... Read more
Case Study:
Clarifying Complex Coding for Colpopexy and Paravaginal Urethropexy
Editors note: This month, Ob-Gyn Coding Alert adds a new feature to its lineup. In this fe... Read more
Understanding Test Indications Can Simplify Coding for Antepartum Fetal Assessments
Antepartum fetal stress testing can be a difficult area for many ob/gyn coders. Choosing t... Read more
Increase Income by Improving the Efficiency of Your Ob/Gyn Coding and Billing Process
Rapidly getting bills out to payers is becoming more critical for many ob/gyn practices. C... Read more
Ensure Accurate Claims for Well Visits and Diagnostic Services with Correct Use of V Codes
Many coders fear the use of V codes, says Liza Green, RRA, CCS-P, revenue coordinator for ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Coding Anesthesia for an in Office Surgical Procedure
Question: What is the correct coding policy to follow when local anesthesia is administer... Read more
Reader Questions:
Correct Coding for Pessary Insertion
Question: What is the correct sequence of coding for a pessary insertion for a Medicare pa... Read more
Maximize Your Reimbursement for Services Provided by CNMs and NPs
In order to augment their services and improve efficiency, many ob/gyn practices are incre... Read more
Correctly Code Well-Woman Exams:
Preventive Services Are Not Billed as Office Visits
Two patients are seen in your ob/gyn practice. One woman is in for her annual Pap smear an... Read more
Correct Coding for Stillbirth and the Termination of Pregnancy
A difficult area of ob/gyn coding is that of selecting the right ICD-9 and CPT codes for... Read more
Stop Losing Money on Expensive Supplies and Medications
Are you coding for expensive medications and medical supplies for which reimbursement does... Read more
E & M Documentation Guidelines Postponed:
Now What Should Ob-Gyn Practices Do to Comply
Late last year, implementation of the new E/M Documentation Guidelines was delayed until J... Read more
Ob Global Coding Tactics to Cut Claim Denials
According to coding experts, one of the most frequently asked questions about ob-gyn codin... Read more
Capture Lost Hospital Activity Revenue, Improve Your Bottom Line
One of the major areas of lost revenues in an ob/gyn practice is services and procedures p... Read more
Medicare's Reimbursement for Screening Pelvic Examination and Pap Smear Collection
As reported in the April 1997 issue of OCA (pages 6-7), Medicare now covers a screening PA... Read more
Using Modifier -51:
Coding Multiple Procedures Correctly and Profitably
Question: How should I you code correctly for a vaginal hysterectomy in which an anterior ... Read more
When Is It a "Seperate Procedure?"
Youre coding a recent surgery and want to be sure you include everything that was actually... Read more
When Does Your Advice Qualify as a Consultation:
Getting Paid for Consultation Codes
A primary physician calls your ob/gyn clinic and requests that a perimenopausal patient wi... Read more
Avoid Provider Chart Audits by Conducting In-House Self Audits
The increasing scrutiny from third-party payers of coding in general, and Evaluation and M... Read more
Choose and Report the Right Diagnosis code to Increase Payups
Establishing medical necessity is the first and most essential step in third-party reimbur... Read more
Coding for Methotrexate for Treating Ectopic Pregnancies
"Ectopic pregnancy has been increasing in recent years, and recent statistics show it now ... Read more
Optimal Coding for Multiple Births
Everyone hopes to be paid for all services provided, and while delivering more than one ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Coding a Pregnancy When a Change of Insurance Carriers Has Occurred
Question: What do you code when a patient changes insurance carriers in the middle of her ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Properly Coding a Follow-up Exam
Question: A patient presents with painful urination and a lab test confirms a UTI. Medica... Read more
Correct Utilization of -25 Modifier to Ehnance Pay-up
In the course of providing a service or performing a procedure, there are often times wh... Read more
New E/M Guidelines:
Making Sense of Ob-Gyn Medical Decision Making
One of the most important ingredients for success in todays medical market is the ability ... Read more
Reimbursement Tips for Gyn Emergency Department Visits
The CPT has a specific section for Emergency Department (ED) Services (codes 99281-99285).... Read more
Coding Reimbursement Tactics for Well-Woman Exams
The annual preventive well-woman exam is one of the ways a progressive ob/gyn practice pro... Read more
Medicare Coding for Preventive Cancer Screening
Traditionally, Medicare has not covered preventive medicine services. But because of a new... Read more
Getting Paid for Babysitting a Pitocin Drip
In these times of managed care and reduced reimbursement every dollar counts. You need t... Read more
Reader Questions:
Coding for Endometrial Biopsy with Cervical Dilation
Question: Gail A. Baxter, AAPC office manager for Douglas E. Heritage, MD (Woodbridge, VA)... Read more
Reader Questions:
Observation Codes
Question: What is the difference between the 99218-220 Observation codes and the 99234-236... Read more
Available Years:  1998