Pulmonology Coding Alert

Tip: Consider appending modifier 59 when reporting a six-minute walk. Your practice performs so many pulmonary function tests (PFTs) that you probably think you have spirometry coding down pat. But the truth is many coders still have questions about reporting these common procedures. Avoid denials or lowered reimbursement by reviewing these spirometry ins and outs. Use 2 Codes for New Patient Testing Upon their first visit, all new patients with respiratory symptoms get a baseline spirometry (94010, Spirometry, including graphic record, total and timed vital capacity, expiratory flow rate measurement[s], with or without maximal voluntary ventilation), shares Suzanne Wood, CPC, with the Pulmonary Associates Medical Group in La Mesa, Calif. When the pulmonary function technologist performs this test, normal procedure is to print the graph of the spirometric tracing, print the values for vital capacity, forced vital capacity, and flows, and put that information in the chart after the pulmonologist [...]