Advanced Search

Pulmonology Coding Alert

You be the coder:

Peek Into Thoracentesis with Imaging-Capable Ultrasound

Published on Sat May 22, 2010

Question: My pulmonologist uses ultrasound to assess the presence and size of a pleural effusion. He looks, and does the thoracentesis afterwards. I feel I should use 76604 to report the ultrasound. Would it be the appropriate code?West Virginia SubscriberAnswer: First, the service described above is ultrasound-guided thoracentesis. Code 76604 describes a complete ultrasound of the chest and mediastinum used to view more than the presence and location of fluid. However, the correct code for ultrasound guidance during thoracentesis is 76942 (Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device), imaging supervision and interpretation). This  requires the use of an ultrasound device that can store and reproduce images. It also requires a physician report of interpretation describing what was visualized..
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles in this issue of

Pulmonology Coding Alert

View All