Orthopedic Coding Alert

Find out what manipulation means and test yourself with two scenarios.When your orthopedist performs fracture care, be sure to take advantage of manipulation opportunity or you could be losing out on your reimbursement without the appropriate manipulation knowledge.Say the orthopedist performs closed treatment on a fractured fibula; if she uses manipulation, the service is worth about $119 more than a non-manipulation encounter. However, you should consider several factors before you decide a manipulation warrants the treatment. Arm yourself with these 3 tips to get you started.1. Know What You're Dealing WithYou can't support your claim if you have no idea what manipulation is. "Manipulation involves reduction or attempted reduction of the fracture or dislocation," explains Gerri Walk, RHIA, CCS-P, senior manager for Baltimore's Health Record Services Corporation.Orthopedists would typically perform a "closed" manipulation, which occurs when "the physician is repositioning or relocating a displaced closed fracture back to the correct [...]