Otolaryngology Coding Alert
Related Debridement Is Not Part of Septoplasty
Question: Are there any rules for billing or not billing a 31237-58 during the global post op period of a septoplasty procedure? I know I can bill 31237 when the debridement is related to the FESS codes since they don’t have any global days assigned, but the 30520 has a 90-day global. Is the debridement considered to be routine post operative care and non-billable, or is it a billable procedure with the correct modifier?
Answer: Post operative endoscopic debridements are usually done to care for post endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) and are unrelated to turbinate or septum surgery that may or may have not been done at the same time as the ESS surgery. The ESS surgery caries zero global days while open turbinate procedures, (30140 or 30130) and a septoplasty (30520) carries a 90 day global period. Since the debridements are unrelated to caring for the post operative service for the septoplasty and/or Turbinectomy, the debridements are usually coded and billed with a 79 modifier, for unrelated procedure. So, the debridments are coded 31237-79. If the debridements are performed bilaterally, don’t forget to include the 50 modifier along with the 79 modifier.
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Otolaryngology Coding Alert
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