Otolaryngology Coding Alert
NPPs Can Bill in Hospital--Just Not 'Incident-To'
Texas Subscriber
Answer: If you report the inpatient consults under the NPP's own provider identification number (PIN), you are billing correctly.
Most insurers allow you to report services that the NPP provides in a hospital setting, as long as you don't report the services -incident-to.- Therefore, if your NPP provides a consult in the hospital and documents the -three R-s- of the consultation (request, review, and report back to the requesting physician), you can report the appropriate consult code (99241-99245 or 99251-99255 depending if the patient is outpatient or inpatient) under the NPP's PIN.
Caveat: Always check your state and hospital scope-of-practice guidelines before you bill an NPP's consult services, because state guidelines can vary throughout the country.
Otolaryngology Coding Alert
- ICD-9 Update:
Enhance Your Hearing Exam, Pain Claims With These New Diagnosis Codes
Increase specificity starting this October with the debut of several codes.
If you-ve been waiting for [...] - Operative Report Examination:
Use Modifiers to Ease the Pain Of Custom Tracheal Resections
Follow a 5-step approach to find the right codes
Otolaryngology coding can hold surprises. For example, [...] - Reporting J7616, J7617? HCPCS 2006 Requires You to Change Your Coding
Tip: Learn how you should use modifiers KP, KQ
If you-re still reporting inhaled albuterol services [...] - Discover When You Can Report Same-Specialty Consultations
Warning: Avoid reporting consultation codes for shared/split visits
Consultation coding has undergone many changes this year, [...] - Say Goodbye to Consultations' 3 R's--Now There Are 4
Standard request form will help ensure you meet all the requirements
In addition to the established [...] - You Be the Coder:
What Criteria Determine Vaccine Coding?
Question: What codes should I report for pneumonia vaccinations given in our office?
New Hampshire Subscriber
Answer: [...] - Overcome Critical Care Coding Dilemmas With These 3 Tips
Accurate time documentation is your first hurdle
If a patient doesn't exhibit a life-threatening condition, you [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Look Beyond ICD-9's Code Descriptors
Question: My physician noted that a patient has -acute exacerbation of emphysema.- He also said [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Avoid Temptation to Code Oxygen Administration
Question: When an office patient requires oxygen, what CPT code should I use for administering [...] - Clip and Save:
Make Critical Care Coding Quick and Easy With This Chart
Less than 30 minutes means no critical care code
Tack this simple chart on your wall [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Don't Worry About Resubmitting 2006 Claims
Question: Will I need to resubmit the claims I have submitted in 2006 to claim [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Report More Than Just Covered Services
Question: Should we bill exactly the same group of codes to all payers, or can [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Check Insurer Before Coding for Fluarix
Question: Our office is expecting a shipment of the Fluarix TIV influenza vaccine. When a [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Code Based on Number of Venoms
Question: When our physician prepares 36 doses of three stinging insect venoms on the same [...] - Do Your Homework Before You Claim Operating Microscope
Medicare ususally won't pay 69990 for ENT surgeries, but others might
Before you assign 69990 every [...] - YOU BE THE CODER:
How Should We Code Zenker's Diverticulum?
Question: Which code should we report for surgical excision of a Zenker's diverticulum? Our surgeon [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Try Modifiers for ENG Claims
Question: I always report 92543 x 4 when our audiologist uses electroneurography (ENG) to record [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Include All Applicable Procedures in 69540
Question: Can I report both tympanostomy tube removal and aural polyp removal under general anesthesia? [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
NPPs Can Bill in Hospital--Just Not 'Incident-To'
Question: In your April article -Your Consult Documentation Needs Immediate Revision: Here's Why,- you said [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Medicare Won't Pay 42145 With 42828
Question: Can we bill uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP, 42145) and tonsillectomy (42826) together? We have gotten conflicting [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Look to 0074T for Online Consults
Question: I read that we can charge insurers for our physician's online consultations, such as [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Don't Bill 99051 as a Stand-Alone Code
Question: Regarding CPT 2006's introduction of 99051, I have two questions:
1. Should we use 99051 [...]
