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Primary Care Coding Alert

Dermatology:

Count Every Patch and Office Visit for Complete Patch Test Coding

Published on Thu Mar 17, 2011

Pay day: Every patch could earn your physician $6.When your family physician conducts a patch test and followup for a patient, don't let some of the calculations slip past your notice. Count each patch and any extra E/M services to round out a complete claim -- and watch your bottom line grow by about $6 per patch.Include Office Visit CodeA new patient comes to your office with a red, itchy rash on his arm. The FP makes an initial diagnosis of non-specified contact dermatitis (692.9, Contact dermatitis and other eczema; unspecified cause). The physician then applies patch tests and asks the patient to return in 48, 72, and 96 hours for readings.Code it: Because your physician applied the patch test, you'll report 95044 (Patch or application test[s] [specify number of tests]). You'll also bill for any E/M service the family practitioner provided for the patient. Because you're filing a claim for [...]
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