Primary Care Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

In-Office Wound Closure Requires More Care

Published on Tue Jul 01, 2003

Question: A patient presents with a wrist laceration through multiple muscle layers and venous or arterial bleeding, which our family physician (FP) was able to clamp but not stop. The doctor superficially closes the wound to try to control the bleeding and sends the patient to the emergency room. How should I code this?

Texas Subscriber

Answer: You should report the simple laceration repair with 12001-12007 (Simple repair of superficial wounds of scalp, neck, axillae, external genitalia, trunk and/or extremities [including hands and feet] ) depending on the wound's size. Although the FP does not intend that the repair should be the final treatment, he or she performed the procedure and should report it.

Primary Care Coding Alert

What No Ones Telling You About ADD/ADHD Exam Coverage
Don't let conflicting information on using 90801 and 90862 versus 99214-99215 for ADD/ADHD evaluations rattle [...]

3 Immunotherapy Requirements Most Coders Miss
If you're billing incorrectly for 95165, you're not alone a recent survey found that 40 [...]

You Be the Coder:
In-Office Wound Closure Requires More Care
Question: A patient presents with a wrist laceration through multiple muscle layers and venous or [...]

Are You Coding 99303, 99238/9? Heres When Its OK to Do So
Many family physician (FP) coders are eager to capture the extra $69.17 for a hospital [...]

Reader Questions:
Consider E/M Significance When Weighing Denials
Question: Payers always deny starred procedures when billed with an E/M code and modifier -25. [...]

Reader Questions:
Sniff Out Sensitivity Test Limitations
Question: When my family physician (FP) performs allergy testing (86003, 95004, 95024, 95027), we sometimes [...]

Reader Questions:
Tally History Elements
Question: May I count the organ systems in both the HPI and the ROS?

California Subscriber [...]

Reader Questions:
Determine CPE Charge Based on 99397-G0102
Question: When we perform a digital rectal exam on the same date of service as [...]

View All