Ob-Gyn Coding Alert
Charge for Additional Surgery During C-Section
Question: During a cesarean section, my ob-gyn repaired the rectus abdominus muscles. Is this included in the c-section, or is there a separate code for this? Washington Subscriber Answer: If the repair involved significant additional work, you should add modifier -22 (Unusual procedural services) to the cesarean section code (59510, Routine obstetric care including antepartum care, cesarean delivery, and postpartum care; 59514, Cesarean delivery only; and/or 59515, including postpartum care). CPT does not contain a code that specifically addresses this type of repair, and the cesarean code normally does not involve repairing this separated muscle. But this condition can occur with any pregnancy due to the weight of the uterus pulling downward on this muscle group. Usually, the ob-gyn gives the pregnant patient exercises to perform to help prevent this problem. If the surgeon repaired this condition during a separate session after the birth, most payers would consider it an abdominoplasty (15831, Excision, excessive skin and subcutaneous tissue [including lipectomy]; abdomen [abdominoplasty]) and would not cover the procedure.
Ob-Gyn Coding Alert
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Question: My ob-gyn admits patients for observation, but the patients occasionally stay for only four [...] - Reader Question :
Modifier -51 Is the Key
Question: The ob-gyn performed an anteroposterior colporrhaphy, Burch urethropexy and bilateral salpingooophorectomy during one session. [...] - Reader Question :
Charge for Additional Surgery During C-Section
Question: During a cesarean section, my ob-gyn repaired the rectus abdominus muscles. Is this included [...] - Reader Question :
Diagnosis Codes Critical for Annual Exam
Question: Our ob-gyn saw a Medicare patient for an annual exam with a Pap smear [...] - Reader Question :
Bill for IUD Removal
Question: My ob-gyn inserted an intrauterine device (IUD) more than a year ago and charged [...] - Reader Question :
Prepare Lysis of Adhesions Claim Carefully
Question: The ob-gyn performed difficult open laparoscopy, hysteroscopy, chromotubation, enterolysis, fimbriolysis, salpingolysis, ovariolysis, hydropertubation and [...]
