Outpatient Facility Coding Alert
No-Go for Reporting Electively Canceled Procedure
PDF
Question: I know we shouldn’t report modifier 73 for elective cancellation of a procedure. How do we handle the situation?
Answer: If a procedure is cancelled because the patient elected not to go forward, it does not qualify for modifier 73 (Discontinued outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center [ASC] procedure prior to the administration of anesthesia). You cannot report the surgery, as noted in the full descriptor for modifier 73: "The elective cancellation of a service prior to the administration of anesthesia and/or surgical preparation of the patient should not be reported."
Option: Check the patient’s chart to see if lab tests, X-rays, or other services were provided prior to the cancellation. If so, you can file a claim for that care.
Maine Subscriber
Outpatient Facility Coding Alert
- Rehab Services:
Look Ahead to Using New Functional Status Codes in 2013
Tip: Start educating providers now on the codes and modifiers required by July. If your facility [...] - CPT® Errata:
Questioning Some of Next Year's Codes? Check the Errata List From AMA
CPT® 2013 just released, but you already need to note some changes. Now that the [...] - Dermatology:
Focus on Diagnosis and Documentation to Successfully Report AK Treatment
Choosing correctly from 15788-15793 is crucial to your claim. Chemical peels aren’t just for cosmetic [...] - ICD-10:
Report One Code for Pressure Ulcer in 2014 With Specific Location Choices
Heads up: You’ll move from 14 code possibilities to more than 150. Under the current [...] - You Be the Coder:
Choosing a Diagnosis for Red Man Syndrome
Question: What is the correct diagnosis for red man syndrome? New Jersey Subscriber
- Reader Question:
Edits Apply for Both Inpatient and Outpatient Surgeries
Question: Are CCI edits applied the same way when we’re coding professional services for inpatient [...] - Reader Question:
No-Go for Reporting Electively Canceled Procedure
Question: I know we shouldn’t report modifier 73 for elective cancellation of a procedure. How [...] - Reader Question:
Report 29819 for Shoulder Implant Removal
Question: An orthopedic surgeon arthroscopically removed an implant from the patient’s shoulder (the implant was [...] - Reader Question:
Select New Code 0275T for MILD Procedure
Question: I could use some advice coding the following dictation: "Fluoroscopic assistance was used to [...] - Reader Question:
Ensure Claim Form Includes All Infusion Details
Question: Our ASC keeps getting denials for drug supply charges during injections and infusions. Any [...]