Pulmonology Coding Alert

Appropriate documentation and modifier usage does the trick. When your pulmonologist performs a methacholine provocation challenge test to evaluate the responsiveness of a patient's airways, he may use spirometry following the testing to see if there is a bronchospastic response. To report these services accurately, you'll need to know how to report the tests, spirometry and any other E/M services provided during the encounter. Read on to get better grasp on the guidelines that will help you beat methacholine challenge test reporting when your pulmonologist performs them. Know When to Report Professional and Technical Components Separately When reporting methacholine provocation testing, you first need to report the administration of the methacholine with 95070 (Inhalation bronchial challenge testing [not including necessary pulmonary function tests]; with histamine, methacholine, or similar compounds). The methacholine provocation test should be reported using 94070 (Bronchospasm provocation evaluation, multiple spirometric determinations as in 94010, with administered agents [...]