Connecticut Subscriber
Answer: You can bill 26750 (Closed treatment of distal phalangeal fracture, finger or thumb; without manipulation, each) for fracture care if the physician does not plan to refer the patient to an orthopedist for follow-up care of the fracture. The splint placement is included in 26750 and therefore cannot be billed separately. The Application of Casts and Strapping (29000-29799) section in CPT 2002 states, A physician who applies the initial cast, strap or splint and also assumes all of the subsequent fracture, dislocation or injury care cannot use the application of casts and strapping codes as an initial service, since the first cast/splint or strap application is included in the treatment of fracture and/or dislocation codes. Assuming your doctors treatment of the patients fracture is the initial service, use 26750.
If the physician replaces the splint at a subsequent visit, report 29130 (Application of finger splint; static). Additional E/M services are reported only if they represent significant identifiable services provided at the time of the splinting. If the only documentation is for a fracture, reduction and splitting, separate services cannot be billed.