Procedure Coding:
Use These 3 Tips to Give Your PLIF Claims Wings
Published on Thu Mar 24, 2011
Remember to capitalize on separately reportable bone grafts.When your orthopedist performs posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), notes on instrumentation placement - and other procedures performed during the PLIF encounter - are vital. If you miss these separate services, you risk lowering your reimbursement.Whether you can report laminectomy separately, however, depends on the extent of the surgeon's effort. Check out this quick primer on PLIF coding:1. See + 22632 for Additional InterspacesFor a standard PLIF procedure, you should report 22630 (Arthrodesis, posterior interbody technique, including laminectomy and/or diskectomy to prepare interspace [other than for decompression], single interspace; lumbar), confirms Kathleen Nelson, CPC, orthopedics professional coder at Fletcher Allen Health Care in Burlington, Vt.If the surgeon treats additional interspaces beyond the first, you should report +22632 (...each additional interspace [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) for each additional interspace, says Denise Paige, CPC, COSC, coding and billing manager at [...]