Obstetrics:
Find Out When You Shouldn't Count 59025 As Routine
Published on Tue Feb 14, 2012
Tip: Make sure you include labor checks in the global ob code.Do you want to code fetal non-stress test (NST) using 59025? Better make sure the equipment or the mother records the fetal movement. Otherwise, count the fetal monitoring as routine.Find Out What Makes a True NSTWhen you report 59025 (Fetal non-stress test) for NST procedures, make sure you're reporting them in the appropriate situations.What happens: During the NST procedure, the ob-gyn evaluates the patient and assesses fetal well-being without using IV medications, says Denell Engstrom, CPC, coding manager and billing specialist at the Woman's Clinic in Boise, Idaho. Overall, the test lasts 30-40 minutes, during which the ob-gyn monitors the fetal heart rate, fetal movement, and contractions (if present) using external transducers. A "reactive" NST will show the fetal heart rate accelerate from the baseline 15 beats per minute for a minimum of 15 seconds at least twice during [...]
