Primary Care Coding Alert

Have these modifiers handy to distinguish areas of the feet and toes.Don't let anatomic terminology trip up your foot and ankle claims. Learn more about some of the more common foot procedures your family physician might face, and you'll be coding those services like an ace.Build Coding Foundations With Basic KnowledgeSudden impacts (such as those from jumping during sports) or simple wear-and-tear can cause toe, foot and ankle problems. "You've got to know the differences between these diagnoses, or you may miss a subtle difference and assign the wrong code," says Heather Corcoran, coding manager at CGH Billing in Louisville, Ky.Coding tip: One thing to remember is that you might need modifiers to help differentiate work on different areas of the feet or toes, says Denise Paige, CPC, coding and billing manager at Beach Orthopedic Associates in Long Beach, Calif., and the president-elect of the AAPC's Long Beach Chapter. These [...]