Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Say goodbye to your confusion over screening guidelines. To code a well-woman exam correctly, you've got to know two key concepts: how Medicare and private payers' guidelines differ, and when you should separately code breast/pelvic exams and Pap smears. Best bet: Use these two quick tips for accurate well-woman coding. 1. Break Out Services for Medicare If the ob-gyn provides a complete well-woman exam for a Medicare patient, you should report G0101 (Cervical or vaginal cancer screening; pelvic and clinical breast examination) for the breast and pelvic exams, and bill the patient for the noncovered part of the exam using 99387 (Initial comprehensive preventive medicine evaluation and management of an individual including an age- and gender-appropriate history, examination, counseling/anticipatory guidance/risk factor reduction interventions, and the ordering of appropriate immunization(s), laboratory/diagnostic procedures, new patient; 65 years or older) or 99397 (Periodic comprehensive preventive medicine re-evaluation and management of an individual including [...]