Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: A patient came to the office with a bump on her foot; the pediatrician diagnosed viral warts. Case notes document "biofreeze x 1." How should we code the procedure?

West Virginia Subscriber

Answer: Biofreeze is the same as cryotherapy, so report 17110 (Destruction [e.g., laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement], of benign lesions other than skin tags or cutaneous vascular proliferative lesions; up to 14 lesions).

Tip: Insurance companies often classify wart removal as a cosmetic procedure unless the warts cause pain. Because of this stance, payers often will not reimburse for wart destruction without prior authorization.

Caution: Don't be tempted to submit 17000 (Destruction [e.g., laser surgery, electrosurgery, cryosurgery, chemosurgery, surgical curettement], premalignant lesions [e.g., actinic keratoses]; first lesion) for wart removal. Warts don't qualify as "premalignant lesions" described by 17000.