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Pediatric Coding Alert

Check Destruction Method Before Assuming 17110

Published on Fri Feb 27, 2009

You could gain $30 if a shave is also performed. Treating 17110 as your office's catch-all skin lesion destruction procedure code could cut $30-$72 from a claim. As pediatricians look for more ways to maximize services provided in our medical homes, understanding correct coding for skin lesion destruction becomes more important. You could be overlooking providing dermatology procedures that could benefit your bottom line. Here are some to look into -- and how to code them appropriately. Destruction, which means the ablation of tissues of lesions, is by any method; some methods are code specific, said Robin Linker, CHCA, CPC-I, CPC-H, CCS-P, MCSP, CPC-P, RMC, RMM, CHC, in her "Pediatric Coding Challenges" American Academy of Professional Coders' presentation. "Often destruction will require more than one code and/or units to report the service." To tell them apart, try your hand at two cases. Get to the Bottom of Shaving Lesions Question 1: [...]
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