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Ophthalmology and Optometry Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Look to Superficial FBR With Irrigation

Published on Sun Jan 24, 2010

Question: A new patient who had been taking down Christmas tree lights from his house the day before reports to the ophthalmologist with an irritated left eye. He says that one of the lights shattered while he was handling it, and he has been "wiping the eye out all day." The ophthalmologist examines the eye area, and notes "undetermined particles and small foreign bodies, but cannot confirm glass ... could just be pieces of leaves or grass." Using saline irrigation, the ophthalmologist cleans out the patient's eye and sends him home; no further tools are necessary. Is this an ocular foreign body removal (FBR), or is irrigation an E/M service? Colorado Subscriber Answer: This is a superficial conjunctival FBR, and it sounds as if an E/M also occurred. On the claim, report the following: • 65205 (Removal of foreign body, external eye; conjunctival superficial) for the FBR • an E/M [...]
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