Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert
Unravel This Curious Toe Tangle
Question: The physician removed a “hair tourniquet” of human hair wound tightly around a patient’s left great toe. There was no injury, but the toe was irritated. What diagnosis code should we report? AAPC Forum Participant Answer: Your best choice is S90.442 (External constriction, left great toe). Because this was the initial encounter for the complaint and they are actively being treated for the condition, you would choose the 7th character A (Initial encounter). The complete ICD-10-CM code would then be S90.442A. Consider this: You should also include the cause for the injury as W49.01XA (External constriction caused by hair, initial encounter) on the claim. This will provide more specific information about the injury to the payer.
Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert
- Case Study:
Resolve This Office Visit for Toe Injury Case
Distinguish between new and existing patients to assign the appropriate E/M code. Injuries to the [...] - X-rays:
Grasp Foot and Toe Modifiers for Legitimate X-Ray Compensation
Understanding the different modifiers is key to claim success. When a patient comes to your [...] - Compliance:
Improve Telehealth Compliance in Your Post-PHE Practice
Contracted vendors are still required to comply with HIPAA regulations. Following the COVID-19 public health [...] - You Be the Coder:
Solve This Age-Old Osteoporosis Case
Question: My podiatrist’s notes indicate that they performed an office evaluation and management (E/M) service for [...] - Reader Questions:
Correctly Code This Ankle/Toe Loose Bodies Case
Question: Notes indicate that the podiatrist performed a level-four office evaluation and management (E/M) service for [...] - Reader Questions:
Unravel This Curious Toe Tangle
Question: The physician removed a “hair tourniquet” of human hair wound tightly around a patient’s left [...] - Reader Questions:
Be Aware of Medicare Redetermination Timeline
Question: We are quickly approaching the 120-day deadline to submit a redetermination to Medicare for a [...]
