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Oral Surgery Coding & Reimbursement Alert

CPT® Coding Strategies:
Watch Laceration Size and Closure For Accurate Oral Laceration Repair Reporting
Hint: Your diagnosis reporting will not be complete if you fail to identify cause. Whe... Read more
E/M Coding:
Click on Modifier 25 to Cash in on Deserved E/M Reimbursement
If you’re wondering if you should use this modifier, ask yourself these four quest... Read more
Electronic Health Record:
Get a Better Grip on Your EHR System Using These 3 Tips
Surprisingly, EHRs adding to difficulties instead of reducing workload, says study. If... Read more
Reader Question:
Don't Confuse Sialolithiasis Removal For Foreign Body Removal
Question: I am new to oral surgery coding and am facing difficulty in reporting this pro... Read more
Reader Question:
Check 42227 When Your Surgeon Performs Palatal Lengthening
Question: Our surgeon often gives us unlisted codes which makes it difficult to get paid... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Base Abscess Drainage Code on Location of The Abscess
Question: Our surgeon recently performed the following abscess drainage procedure on a 5... Read more
Case Study:
Don't Let Op Report Oversights Make You Lose Out on Deserved Pay
Get your surgeon on board about the importance of a balanced op report. When your surg... Read more
Electronic Health Record:
Know How You Can Stay Abreast of Your EHR System Using These 3 Tips
Surprisingly, EHRs adding to difficulties instead of reducing workload, says study. If... Read more
Claims Appeal:
Stand Better Chances For Winning an Appeal For Denied Claims
Changed guidelines hold good for only claims denied after being paid out. You might ha... Read more
Reader Question:
Know if You Can Put ICD-9 and ICD-10 Codes on Same Claim Form
Question: Our clinician admitted a patient in September and didn’t discharge ... Read more
Reader Question:
Lack of Documentation? Check Out 'Unspecified' Codes
Question: If I find that a common ICD-9 code that I use doesn’t have a direct... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Look Towards Unspecified Codes Prior to Path Report Availability
Question: A family physician referred a patient to our oral surgeon for lesion remo... Read more
CPT® 2016 Update:
Get a Sneak Peek into What to Expect For Oral Surgery Coding in CPT® 2016
  Prolonged care codes cannot be used with new prolonged clinical staff service c... Read more
ICD-10:
Kickoff With a Fresh Phase of ICD-10 Training After Implementation Date
Coders, clinicians must come together to solidify office’s ICD-10 coding. With a... Read more
ICD-10:
Understand Grace Period To Ease into ICD-10 Implementation in Your Practice
Be ready to use ICD-10 or claims won’t fly. Amid the ocean of information CMS ha... Read more
ICD-10:
Use These Expert TipsFor Successful ICD-10 Implementation
Communication between coders and providers is vital for success. With all the drama su... Read more
Reader Question:
Understand When to Report 40810 and 40820 For Lesion Destruction
Question: Recently our oral surgeon performed removal of a lesion from the vestibul... Read more
Reader Question:
Append Appropriate Modifier For Postsurgical Complication Reporting
Question: A patient had resection of an oropharyngeal cancer about a month ago. The... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Know Your ICD-10 Options For Xerostomia
Question: Our surgeon recently made the diagnosis of xerostomia. What ICD-10 code s... Read more
ICD-10 Coding:
Pin Down on Appropriate Tongue Neoplasm Codes With These Useful Tips
Think ‘base of tongue’ refers to the underside? Think again. As ICD-10 is ... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Don't Presume Arch Bar Removal is Always Part of Global Period
You could end up losing hundreds of dollars if you are unaware. When a patient who has... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Shift to Using K04.8 For Radicular Cyst in ICD-10
Hint: Don’t use same code for a diagnosis of lateral periodontal cyst. When your... Read more
Reader Question:
Base Ludwig's Angina I&D Reporting on Approach and Anatomical Location
Question: Our surgeon recently performed an incision and drainage of Ludwig’s angi... Read more
Reader Question:
Select Appropriate Dysphagia Code Based on Swallowing Phase
Question: A patient with carcinoma S/P radiation and chemo has subsequent dysphagia... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Don't Forget to Report Bilateral Modifier For Masseteric Injections
Question: Our surgeon recently reviewed a patient with masseter muscle hypertrophy ... Read more
Medicare Coverage:
Get Clarity on Obtaining Coverage For Dental Procedures Through Medicare
  Hint: Some dental procedures receive coverage incident-to other procedures. I... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Watch Graft and Osteotomy to Zero in on Right Genioplasty Code
Hint: You don’t need an additional code to report the graft. When your oral surg... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Switch to K11.5 For Reporting Sialolithiasis in ICD-10
Hint: Use other diagnosis codes for sialoadenitis and disturbance in salivary secretion.... Read more
Reader Question:
Confused Over Choosing New and Established E/M? Don't Fret
Question: What is the difference between a new and established patient, for office ... Read more
Reader Question:
Get on Track Being ICD-10 Ready
Question:  Our entire office is pitching in to prepare for the switch over to ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Distinguish Between Lesions of Uncertain Behavior and Unspecified Nature
Question: If our oral surgeon is looking at managing a lesion but documentation doe... Read more
CCI 21.2 Update:
Mark These Mandates For Arthrocentesis and Pin/ Wire Insertion Reporting
Hint: Don’t forget to check modifier indicator to see if you can override bundling... Read more
CPT®:
Coding Strategies: Perfect Glossectomy Reporting Using This Expert Advice
Hint: Look at documentation to identify other correlated procedures performed. When re... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Look For Simple One-to-one Transition For Oral Ulcerative Mucositis in ICD-10
Hint: Don’t forget to report additional codes for drug related mucositis. When r... Read more
Reader Questions:
Don't Report Laser Destruction of Lip Lesions With 40810
Question: Recently, our surgeon performed laser destruction of multiple mucosal lip... Read more
Reader Questions:
Check on Modifier 22 Use For Complications During Surgery
Question: Our surgeon recently performed surgery on a patient with an arteriovenous... Read more
Reader Questions:
Opt for Unlisted Tongue Procedure Codes For Labial Ankyloglossia Incision
Question: Our surgeon recently performed an incision of labial ankyloglossia with p... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Understand When Nerve Monitoring During Surgery Can Be Reported Separately
Question: Our surgeon recently performed parotidectomy on a patient. During the pro... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Master Your Mandibular Excision Coding With These Two Scenarios
Hint: Don’t leave $360 on the table by failure to identify extensive resection. ... Read more
Wound Repair:
Watch the Vermilion Border For Accurate Laceration Repair Reporting
Understand the anatomical differences to ethically maximize your revenue. When reporti... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Switch to G50.0 For Trigeminal Neuralgia Reporting in ICD-10
Hint: Use different ICD-10 code for herpetic trigeminal neuralgia. When your clinician... Read more
Reader Questions:
Reach Out to Vestibular Excision Codes For Lip Lesions Too
Question: Our surgeon recently performed removal of a hemangioma of the upper lip. ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Know When You Can Report Bone Grafts With Surgical Extractions
Question: If my clinician is removing an embedded tooth, what diagnosis codes shoul... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Trouble Reporting Implant Placement to Medical Carriers? Use These Tips
Question: I recently started billing for an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, and I a... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Get Proficient With Salivary Abscess Drainage Reporting With These Helpful Tips
Failure to properly ID complicated parotid drainage could leave you short $230. When y... Read more
Stark Rules:
Watch For Stark Pitfalls That Might Jeopardize Professional Service Arrangements
Keep contracts clear and detailed to help avoid penalties. If you are utilizing the se... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Jump to K12.0 For Recurrent Oral Aphthae Reporting in ICD-10
Hint: Use different ICD-10 code for herpetic stomatitis. If your oral surgeon diagnose... Read more
Reader Questions:
Selecting Biopsy Codes For Every Path Sample Removal? Think Again
Question: Our oral surgeon recently removed a lesion from the vestibule of the mout... Read more
Reader Questions:
Trouble Discerning Between 40804 vs. 40805? Use These Tips
Question: Our surgeon recently removed a foreign body from the vestibule of the mou... Read more
Reader Questions:
Base Pre-op Evaluation Reporting on Components, Not Time Before Procedure
Question: We recently had a patient who came in for a H&P one week prior to the... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Thinking of Multiple Units of 41899? Not so Fast
Question: I am trying to report a full mouth oral rehabilitation that our surgeon p... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
2 Scenarios Perfect Your Palatal Lesion Excision Reporting
Hint: Watch for scenarios that warrant additional E/M code. When your oral surgeon exc... Read more
Payer Relations:
Be on Top of Your Payer Contract Negotiations With These 8 Pointers
Begin early to get everything in place right. You don’t have to maintain your co... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Switch to K13.21 For Oral Leukoplakia Reporting in ICD-10
Hint: Use the same code for a diagnosis of leukokeratosis of oral mucosa. If your oral... Read more
Reader Questions:
Report Implant Removal Based on Procedure, Not POS
Question: Is it appropriate for 20680 to be used in an office setting? I feel that ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Append Modifier 58 For Procedure During Global Period After Biopsy
Question: Many of our biopsy procedures have a 10-day global period. What is the pu... Read more
Reader Questions:
Looking For Implant Codes For TADs? Think Again
Question: Our surgeon recently placed miniscrews (temporary anchorage device) for p... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Discern Between 21248 and 21249 For Implant Placements
Question: When I checked on codes that I need to report placement of implants, I sa... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Graft Choice Helps You Zero in on the Right Arthroplasty Code
Hint: Don’t report same side condylectomy or coronoidectomy separately. If your ... Read more
Case Study:
Test Your Oral Lesion Removal Reporting Skills
Hint: Watch the need for modifiers to overcome edit bundles. Whenever your oral surgeo... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Choose From K04.6/ K04.7 For Periapical Abscess Reporting
Hint: Use the same codes for a diagnosis of dentoalveolar abscess. If your oral surgeo... Read more
Reader Questions:
Understand When to Report 70332 For TMJ Imaging Procedures
Question: When going through radiology codes for TMJ, I saw different codes for imaging ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Cue Into 733.45 For Drug Related Osteonecrosis of Mandible
Question: Our oral surgeon recently diagnosed a patient with osteonecrosis of the m... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Base Laceration Code Choice on Length and Complexity of Closure
Question: An established patient reported to our practice with a cut in the vestibu... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Splint Your Mandibular Fracture Reporting Accurately With These 5 Pointers
Watch CCI edits for reporting different fracture treatment methods in different sites. ... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Perfect Your TMJ Arthrotomy Reporting With This Expert Guidance
Use a modifier for bilateral procedures. If your oral surgeon is performing an arthrot... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Zero In On K11.6 For Mucocele And Ranula Reporting in ICD-10
Click on the same code for mucous retention cyst diagnosis too. If your oral surgeon&r... Read more
Reader Question:
Reporting 524.6x or Other Codes For TMJ Disorders? Watch Coverage Criteria
Question: If my clinician’s diagnosis is jaw pain due to a TMJ problem, should I l... Read more
Reader Question:
Reporting 42408 For Mucocele Removal? Not so Fast
Question: Our maxillofacial surgeon recently removed a mucocele from the buccal muc... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Select the Apt Sialolithotomy Code Depending on Complexity
Question: Our oral surgeon recently reviewed a 49-year-old male patient with compla... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Upgrade Your TMJ Arthroscopy Accuracy With This Expert Advice
Check the need for prior authorization for the procedure. If your maxillofacial surgeo... Read more
CPT® Coding Strategies:
Train Your Sights on Incision Site for Accurate Extraoral I&D Reporting
Understand when to report E/M codes with the drainage codes. When reporting an extraor... Read more
ICD-10 Update:
Split Cysts of Oral Soft Tissues Two Ways With K09.1 and K09.8
Hint: Use different codes for gingival cysts and cysts associated with tongue. When yo... Read more
Reader Question:
Zero in on More Specific Code For Impacted Tooth in ICD-10
Question: Our maxillofacial surgeon recently performed a removal of a lower right t... Read more
Reader Question:
Append Modifier 55 For Postoperative Management Only
Question: Our oral surgeon recently provided treatment for a patient with mandibula... Read more
Reader Question:
Know if You Can Report Office And OR E/M on Same Day
Question: Our surgeon saw a three-year-old established patient that fell out of a s... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Know if Masseter Muscle Reduction is a Covered Service
Question: Our maxillofacial surgeon is planning on performing masseter muscle reduc... Read more
Available Years:  2015  2014