Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: Our pulmonologist often performs bronchospasm evaluations at our office. I want to know whether or not spirometry conducted during bronchospasm evaluations can be reported separately?Colorado SubscriberAnswer: Spirometry is a pulmonary function test that is often conducted for the diagnosis of a wide variety of respiratory problems such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Spirometry helps determine lung volumes and also helps in understanding about the lung function. If your pulmonologist performs spirometry alone and does not perform any other pulmonary function test, then you can report the procedure with 94010 (Spirometry, including graphic record, total and timed vital capacity, expiratory flow rate measurement[s], with or without maximal voluntary ventilation).When your pulmonologist performs bronchospasm evaluations, he will use a bronchodilator as well as perform spirometry, to assess the airways' response. Your pulmonologist might perform multiple spirometries to assess the response of the airways to the bronchodilator that he [...]