Advanced Search

Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

3 Details Help You Pinpoint 67840, 11440-11446, 11640-11646 Lesion Removal Code

Published on Sun Jan 24, 2010

Missing this advice could cut $95 from your reimbursement for excisions. When your ophthalmologist removes lesions from a patient's eyelids, check if the removal involves more than the eyelid's skin -- the added complexity puts you in a different section and boosts your pay. Dig into your ophthalmologist's procedure documentation to determine which code set you should report. Turn to 67840 for More-Than-Skin Removal To report 67840 (Excision of lesion of eyelid [except chalazion] without closure or with simple direct closure), make sure the surgery involves more than the eyelid's skin. Key words: The procedure might involve lid margin, tarsus, and/or palpebral conjunctiva. The ophthalmologist should indicate these terms in the chart notes when documenting the removal of the lesion. Example: Your ophthalmologist removes a single lesion from a patient's upper-left eyelid. The excision measures 0.8 cm in diameter and includes the lid margin, which the physician submits for pathologic examination. [...]
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in your eNewsletter
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs*
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more
*CEUs available with select eNewsletters.

Other Articles in this issue of

Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

View All