Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

What would you do in these scenarios?

Each year, surgeons implant more than 6 million intraocular lenses (IOLs), mostly for patients undergoing cataract surgery. With all those IOLs, coders are bound to have their share of frustrations covering all of the possible scenarios.

Take a look at the questions below, then look for our expert answers elsewhere in this issue to see if your IOL coding is crystal clear.

Question 1: The patient presents with a dislocated IOL, which cannot be safely repositioned. The ophthalmologist removes the dislocated IOL and inserts a new one. What CPT® code or codes would you report?

A. 67121, 66985

B. 67121, 66985-59

C. 66984

D. 66986

Question 2: In the office, a patient undergoing complex cataract surgery receives an astigmatism-correcting IOL. What CPT® code or codes would you report?

A. 66982

B. 66982, V2632

C. 66982, V2632, V2787

D. 66982, V2632, V2788

Question 3: After a previous cataract surgery, the patient suffered residual refractive error. The ophthalmic surgeon inserts a piggyback IOL. What CPT® code would you report for the piggyback lens insertion?

A. 66982

B. 66983

C. 66984

D. 66985

Question 4: True or false: If the ophthalmologist calculates IOL power in both eyes, you should report the test bilaterally.