Otolaryngology Coding Alert
Compare Involved Ear Debridement to These Codes
Question: My doctor had a question about coding for in-office ear debridement due to ear infections or large amounts of wax. He wants to upcode these services because of the work involved. What should I code for this?
Because the doctor is doing so much more, perhaps you can bill 69210-22 (Increased procedural services) and equate it to either 69220 (Debridement, mastoidectomy cavity, simple [e.g., routine cleaning]) or 69222 (Debridement, mastoidectomy cavity, complex [e.g., with anesthesia or more than routine cleaning]) — whichever is equal to the work involved for pricing to the payer.
Michigan Subscriber
Answer: Unfortunately, the external ear canal debridement codes are limited to debridement of the mastoidectomy cavity, which it sounds like your physician is not doing, So, you are limited to 69210 (Removal impacted cerumen [separate procedure], 1 or both ears) which is just the removal of impacted cerumen.
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