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Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Don't Lump Audio Services Into Global Period

Published on Sat Jun 11, 2005

Question: An otolaryngologist orders audiometry and tympanometry testing during a mastoidectomy's global period. Should I report the testing?


New Hampshire Subscriber
Answer: Yes. Global surgical packages, such as 69502's (Mastoidectomy; complete) 90-day global period, do not include audiologic testing. So you should separately bill the testing (e.g., 92557, Comprehensive audiometry threshold evaluation and speech recognition [92553 and 92556 combined], and 92567, Tympanometry [impedance testing]). You shouldn't need a modifier on the audiological testing code.

But if an insurer doesn't pay the test code, you should use modifier -58 (Staged or related procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period) on the test code. The otolaryngologist orders the audio to check the patient's progress. Thus, the testing is related to the procedure's (mastoidectomy's) postoperative period.
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