Orthopedic Coding Alert

Two recent articles in Orthopedic Coding Alert contained advice on coding and billing for casting and strapping that may appear contradictory. In the March 2002 article titled "Closed Fractures: Accurate Coding of Diagnosis, Treatment Essential to Ethical Reimbursement," we advise coders that "all supplies and medications including casts, splints, and strapping (when provided by the practice and not in a hospital or surgery center) are separately billable " from the global fracture care code.

In a reader question on "Casting and Splinting" from the same issue, we advise that the "application of the initial cast, splint or strap should not be reported in addition to the fracture treatment code."

A Pennsylvania reader expressed some concern that these two statements were in conflict. To clarify, although the application of casts and strapping is included as part of the global code for fracture care, the actual materials are separately billable. We apologize for any confusion the two items may have caused.