Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Pay attention to this 'separate report' advice. If you're providing more than one ultrasound per obstetric patient - even during the same visit - make sure you're coding for them. Otherwise, you could be undercutting your practice's bottom line. As much as 70 percent of women in the United States undergo a routine ultrasound evaluation during their pregnancies, usually at 18-20 weeks' gestation. In fact, the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) maintains that one complete ultrasound should be included as a part of routine obstetric care. Keep Ultrasounds Out of the Global Although many insurance providers include ultrasound as a standard part of the ob global package (for example, 59400,Routine obstetric care including antepartum care, vaginal delivery [with or with episiotomy, and/or forceps] and postpartum care), CPT® maintains otherwise. "Antepartum care includes the initial and subsequent history, physical examinations, recording of weight, blood pressures, fetal heart tones, routine [...]