Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Remember: You cannot report 0071T and 0072T with 51702 (Insertion of temporary indwelling bladder catheter; simple) or 76394 (Magnetic resonance guidance for, and monitoring of, visceral tissue ablation). The descriptors of 0071T and 0072T include the work of these two codes.

The notes describing an online medical evaluation (0074T) state that the "reportable services involve the physician's personal timely response to the patient's inquiry and must involve permanent storage (electronic or hard copy) of the encounter." (Editor's note: You can find these notes at www.ama-assn.org and then search for "Category III.")

Also, you should not use the new code for documented patient contacts, such as phone calls, that are considered part of the preservice or postservice work for other E/M or non-E/M services. "A reportable service would encompass the sum of communication (e.g., related telephone calls, prescription provision, laboratory orders) pertaining to the online patient encounter or problem(s)," the AMA states.

Note: T codes are temporary codes that some payers refuse to reimburse. If this is the case, you may not use another code. You should inform the patient that he might have to pay for the procedure.

You must use T codes because they allow for data to be collected that may affect both public and private coverage policy decisions, says Pat Larabee, CPC, CCP, a coding specialist at InterMed, a multispecialty healthcare network in South Portland, Maine. They're a way to track newer procedures for efficacy, utilization level, and outcomes.

"These codes are usually around for five years, and take the tracking information - including frequency and value of procedure - into account when determining a standard CPT code," says Mary Mulholland, BSN, RN, CPC, a reimbursement analyst for the office of clinical documentation at the University of Pennsylvania's department of medicine in Philadelphia. "I would recommend that you check with your Medicare carriers and local carriers to see how they want you to report new and emerging technologies."