Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Put your IOL coding prowess to the test with these case scenarios.

Ophthalmic surgeons implant millions of intraocular lenses (IOLs) each year to restore vision lost due to cataracts or to correct refractive errors such as nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia), astigmatism, or presbyopia. With so many IOLs to choose from, coders are bound to encounter their share of challenges when reporting all the different scenarios possible.

Try to solve the coding scenarios below, then look at our expert answers on page 5 to see if your understanding of IOL coding is crystal clear.

Question 1: In the office, a patient undergoing complex cataract surgery receives an astigmatism-correcting IOL. What CPT^® code(s) would you report?

1. 66982
2. 66982, V2632
3. 66982, V2632, V2787
4. 66982, V2632, V2788

Question 2: After cataract surgery, the patient experiences residual refractive error that cannot be corrected with a tolerable change in eyeglass or contact lens prescription. The ophthalmic surgeon inserts a piggyback IOL. What CPT^® code would you report for the piggyback lens insertion?

1. 66982
2. 66983
3. 66984
4. 66985

Question 3: 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(s) would you report?

1. 67121, 66985
2. 67121, 66985-59
3. 66984
4. 66986

Question 4: If the ophthalmologist calculates IOL power in both eyes for a patient with Medicare, you should report the test bilaterally using the appropriate CPT® code and laterality modifier.

1. True
2. False

Click here to find out the answers.