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Pulmonology Coding Alert

Guidelines:

Apply 3 Add-On Code Tips To Ensure Payable Claims

Published on Sat May 22, 2010

Never leave "add-ons" hanging without a primary procedure.Like it or not, "add-on" (ZZZ) codes are a thing you'll have to deal with in pulmonology. These codes are additions to minor and major surgical procedures, as well as to E/M services. Currently there are 7 "add-on" (ZZZ) codes for bronchoscopy, says Alan L. Plummer, MD, professor of medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. There are special guidelines that can help you apply ZZZ codes as you need them, and consequently secure your claim.1. Add-on Codes Come With a '+' PrefixThere's an easy way to tell if a CPT code is designated as an add-on code. Just look for a plus sign (+) symbol to the left of the code in your CPT manual. Another hint is that in their code descriptors all add-on codes contain a variation of [...]
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