Orthopedic Coding Alert

Adhere to the four strategies that every ortho coder needs to know. If your orthopedist performs several procedures during a knee arthroscopy on the same patient on the same day, you'll need to understand the multiple-scope rule to determine which procedures you can actually claim -- and get paid for. Important orthopedic exception: Keep in mind that the multiple-scope rule applies mainly to shoulder and knee procedures in the orthopedic practice, but it also affects those of the elbow, wrist and hip. On the other hand, it does not apply to ankle or metacarpophalangeal (MCP) arthroscopy, and it doesn't affect arthroscopically aided procedures (29851, 29855-29856, 29888-29889 and 29892). In addition, some surgical knee arthroscopies are excluded from the family -- specifically, 29866-29868. Follow these expert-approved tips to clinch your coding every time. 1. Look to CPT for Scope 'Families' Before worrying about how to apply the multiple-endoscopy rule, you must first know [...]