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Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Blepharoplasty and Blepharoptosis

Published on Fri Mar 01, 2002

Question: Are blepharoplasty (15823) and repair of blepharoptosis (67908) bundled?

California Subscriber
 
Answer: CMS has left this decision up to local carriers. Some have established a local medical review policy (LMRP) that addresses such billing. These generally have criteria for preoperative workups that demonstrate that the patient has laxity in the muscle that requires revision. Those that have not established an LMRP will usually deny 15823 (Blepharoplasty, upper eyelid; with excessive skin weighting down lid), which they consider a bundle with 67908 (Repair of blepharoptosis; conjunctivo-tarso-Mullers muscle-levator resection [e.g., Fasanella-Servat type]). CMS allows local carriers to have bundles that do not exist in the national Correct Coding Initiative, which does not bundle 15823 and 67908.
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