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Radiology Coding Alert

Specificity Is Key to Coding CT Scan of the Abdomen and Pelvis
When radiology coders have to assign CPT Codes for a computed tomography (C... Read more
How to Hold the Line on CT Scans
The broad clinical utility of CTs has resulted... Read more
Split X-Ray Components for SNF Patients
When billing for skilled nursing facility (SNF) patients who present to your radiology... Read more
Bill SNFs With Modifier -26 on These Codes
Radiology coders need the dexterity of jugglers to stay current with all the cons... Read more
Last Chance for Bilateral Reimbursement in 2002
No one likes to get caught making mistakes (least of all Medicare), but let's give t... Read more
Reader Question:
Interpreting DEXA Scan Differs From Consultation
Question: Can a physician report a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan and a c... Read more
Reader Question:
Avoid Aspiration and Biopsy Angst
Question: I have a thyroid aspiration and biopsy that I'm not sure how to code. The ope... Read more
Reader Question:
Unilateral Rib Study Needs Three Views
Question: Should a single-view chest and unilateral rib series be CPT 71101 (Radiol... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Conscious Sedation Requires Lots of Documentation
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situatio... Read more
New 2003 Ultrasound Codes Get Detailed
Changes to CPT codes for 2003 are going to have a big impact on radiology coders. Grou... Read more
One-Stop Shopping for Many 2003 Radiology Codes
Although Radiology Coder have good reason to celebrate ... Read more
New IMRT Codes Deliver Targeted Reimbursement
With a little help from savvy coders, radiation oncology centers will be able to ... Read more
Virtual Colonoscopy Is Easy on Patients and Coders
New radiology procedures can sometimes be coding nightmares, but virtual colonoscopies... Read more
Billing Change for Breast Biopsies
Heads up, radiology and surgical oncology coders.  coverage and billing is s... Read more
Reader Questions:
Incident-To Billing for Contrast Materials
Question: When contrast materials are given, is it allowable for the physician not to b... Read more
Reader Questions:
Arthrogram,Then MRI
Question: How should I code an arthrogram followed by MRI? I am wondering if we should ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Whitaker Test
Question: What is a Whitaker test and how should I code for it? Illinois Subscriber Answ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Selective Catheterization
Question: A procedure included a femoral artery access, cervicocerebral archogram, and ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Digital Roadmapping
Question: Is digital roadmapping considered billable as angiography? The report for PT... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Fine Distinctions in Urography
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looki... Read more
Tune Into a Clear Channel for Coding Radiofrequency Ablation of the Liver
In 2002, CPT Codes approved three new codes for radiofrequency ablatio... Read more
Zevalin Coding Requires a Coordinated Effort
Radiation oncology coders may soon be sorting out codes for ibritumomab tiuxetan thera... Read more
Master Medical Necessity and Nail Your Diagnosis Codes
Of all the currents that muddy up ICD-9 coding , nothing stirs the radiology coding ... Read more
Forms for Physician Education
Experts have several tricks up their sleeves for educating ordering physicians about cod... Read more
Reader Question:
All Thumbs
Question: The Coder's Desk Reference says that CPT 73140 is for digits 2-5 excluding t... Read more
Reader Question:
Double-D Mammograms
Question: When we do mammograms on full-figured women, we have to use twice the typical... Read more
Reader Question:
Fluoroscopy Billing
Question: My physician is not satisfied with billing only fluoroscopy when he does an i... Read more
Reader Question:
Swimmers View
Question: What, if anything, is the difference between a "swimmer's view" of the cerv... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Epidurography
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation befo... Read more
Make the Right Selections in Interventional Angiography Coding
New research on abdominal aortography in conjunction with lower extremity angiography repo... Read more
Sorry About the Guidance Codes,CMS Says
If your facility has had trouble receiving reimbursement for the guidance codes associ... Read more
Solidify Your Knowledge of Vertebroplasty Coding
Seniors suffer from nearly 700,000 fractures every year, and as baby boomers age, th... Read more
Reader Question:
Automated Data
Question: A question has come up in our practice regarding the use of 78890 / 788... Read more
Reader Question:
Fluoroscopy
Question: I know that for the CPT 76000 and CPT 76001 the radiologist... Read more
Reader Question:
Echography
Question: For a freestanding radiation therapy clinic that owns the B-mode U... Read more
Reader Question:
Contrasting Decisions
Question: I thought I had seen somewhere that when a referring physician orders a CT, ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Diagnostic Ultrasounds,Duplex & Doppler Scans
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situatio... Read more
CCI Edits Offer Plenty of Changes for Radiologists
The 8.2 version of the Correct Coding Initiative, effective July 1, 2002, co... Read more
Cardiovascular Coding in Nuclear Medicine Studies
Coding cardiovascular studies for nuclear medicine need not cause despair if you ... Read more
Constructive Strategies Clarify Reconstructive Views
The task of appropriately assigning CPT Codes 's reconstructive view cod... Read more
Reader Question:
Head and Neck MRA
Question: When we receive orders for both a head and neck MRA (magnetic resonance... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Barium Swallow
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at... Read more
Medicare Gives Green Light to Expanded PET Imaging
Much to the relief of clinicians and coders alike, CMS' recently a... Read more
Pulmonary Angiography:
Venous Codes Arent Venial
It's not enough for coders reporting pulmonary angiography studies to know only the ... Read more
Radiology Office Visits Demand Skilled Coding
Do you smile when others moan about the minutiae of E/M coding? If you'r... Read more
Coding Embolization and IVC Filter Placement
Pulmonary angiography is a diagnostic procedure used to identify pulmonary embolisms (... Read more
Use 1995 Documentation Guidelines for E/M Coding
When you begin coding E/M services, you will probably confront both the "1995 Documentat... Read more
Reader Question:
Navicular View of Wrist
Question: How can we get paid for a navicular view of the wrist when it is done with a th... Read more
Reader Question:
Hysterosonography and Hysterosalpingogram
Question: Our radiologists plan to begin performing hysterosonographies and hysterosalpin... Read more
Reader Question:
Urea Breath Testing
Question: Our nuclear radiologist provides urea breath testing. Can you tell me what thi... Read more
Reader Question:
Saphenous Vein Mapping
Question: Can you tell me which code to assign to a saphenous vein-mapping e... Read more
Reader Question:
Angiography Code 75774
Question: Which code should I use when our radiologist advances a catheter deep into the... Read more
Reader Question:
Observation Services
Question: A radiologist in our practice recently performed an arteriogram, and the patie... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Nerve Block Injections
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before lookin... Read more
Add Backbone to Spinal Injection Claims by Pairing Surgical,Radiology Codes
Payment and coding confusion increased two years ago when CPT Codes implemented n... Read more
Changes in Fluoroscopy Coding Add Confusion
Radiology coders hailed the addition of a new spinal fluoroscopy code in 2000 as ad... Read more
Payers Still Balk at Preoperative Chest X-Rays
CMS' change in policy on preoperative chest x-rays has not been as absolute as radiolo... Read more
Modifiers Required for Noncovered Services
CMS provides two HCPCS modifiers that radiology coders should append when billi... Read more
Reader Question:
Abdominal Aortogram With Runoff
Question: A recent Radiology report indicated that the radiologist entered the ri... Read more
Reader Question:
PICC Line Removal
Question: What codes would I assign when a PICC line was removed from the upper arm vei... Read more
Reader Question:
Lumbar Puncture for Chemo
Question: What code do I assign with the following report: Our radiologist performed the... Read more
Reader Question:
Limited Transvaginal U/S
Question: A recent report from our radiologist noted that she had performed a limited ob... Read more
Reader Question:
CCI Modifiers
Question: I notice that some code pairs in the National Correct Coding Initiative... Read more
Reimbursement for Multistep Brachytherapy Requires Coding for Each Stage of Treatment
Because clinical brachytherapy often offers significant advantages over radiation beam... Read more
Sample Brachytherapy Coding
The following codes may be assigned for prostate seed brachytherapy, although they sh... Read more
Report Swallowing Studies Based on Reason for Test
Swallowing studies are usually conducted for two reasons: to assess why patients hav... Read more
Spring CCI Edits Bundle FNA into Biopsy Codes
April 1 heralded a new set of quarterly edits from the Correct Coding ... Read more
Reader Question:
Port Checks
Question: Our radiologists frequently perform venous access port checks. This test consi... Read more
Reader Question:
Repeated Paracentesis
Question: If a paracentesis is performed and a repeated ultrasound during the procedure ... Read more
Reader Question:
Declotting AV Grafts
Question: Many of our dialysis patients have several angioplasties or thrombectomies per... Read more
Reader Question:
Same-Day CTs
Question: One of our patients had a CT scan of the abdomen and the pelvis on the same da... Read more
Reader Question:
Cardiac Scoring
Question: How should I code CT cardiac scoring? I bill only for the professional fee. Oh... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Abdominal, Extremity MRAs
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Compare and Contrast UGI Studies to Determine Correct Code
Choosing the correct code to describe a diagnostic study of the upper ... Read more
Resources Help Super Coders Stay on Top of Their Game
Radiology coders must keep abreast of coding conventions for a ... Read more
Correction:
Biliary Case Codes
In the article CPT 2002 Introduction Contains Major Change, on page 4 of the... Read more
Clarification:
Reporting Modifier -50
The use of modifier -50 (Bilateral procedure) was not clearly explained in the Fe... Read more
Reader Question:
Radiopharmaceuticals
Question: How should we bill for radiopharmaceuticals (RPs), since we purchase them by t... Read more
Reader Question:
Breast Biopsies
Question: Our radiologist took samples from two different areas of a lesion during a st... Read more
Reader Question:
Weekly Radiation
Question: How many radiation therapy sessions are included in a weekly treat... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Displaced GJ Tube
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
Match Up Arterial, Venous Diagnoses When Reporting Extremity Ultrasounds
Distinguishing between the arterial and venous systems lies at the heart of correctly... Read more
Bone Up on Diagnosis Codes for Density Studies
Over the past several years, Medicare has gradually expanded the list of diagnosis codes... Read more
Four Tips Help You Breathe Easier When Coding Lung Scans
Radiology coders specializing in nuclear medicine have long struggled with the co... Read more
Reader Question:
Payment for Abdominal MRAs
Question: We are having a difficult time with Medicare reimbursement for MRAs, specifical... Read more
Reader Question:
Clarification of CAT Code
Question: CPT 76380 reads, "Computerized axial tomography, limited or localized follow-... Read more
Reader Question:
Reporting Myelopathy
Question: I have several reports from MRIs of the cervical and lumbar spine with impressio... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Same-Day Screening, Diagnostic Mammograms
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before loo... Read more
CCI Rings in New Year with Significant Radiology Edits
Radiology coders must pay close attention to new edits implemented by the Co... Read more
Use the Most Common Radiology Modifiers with Ease
Few days pass when radiology coders who often code dozens of reports in an e... Read more
Reader Question:
Enteroclysis Tube
Question: Please tell me how to code the placement of an enteroclysis tube. We would not... Read more
Reader Question:
Lumbar Aspiration
Question: Please tell me how our practice would code the following report: "Successful u... Read more
Reader Question:
MRI of Brain and IACs
Question: Can we bill for two scans (CPT 70553 and CPT 70540 ) on the same day when w... Read more
Reader Question:
Physician Supervision Rules
Question: A few months ago, CMS (which was then called HCFA) issued Program Memorandum ... Read more
Reader Question:
Port Coding
Question: What's the difference between venous access ports and central venous catheters... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Bilateral Extremity Angiography
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before l... Read more
UAE Involves Three Components Plus Modifiers
Interventional radiology practices consistently receive payment from Medicare and mo... Read more
CPT 2002 Introduction Contains Major Change
Radiology coders must pay close attention to language changes in the front m... Read more
Physician Payment Conversion Factor Decreased for 2002
Representatives from CMS explained the decreased conversion factor that will be u... Read more
Anthrax Coding Report Free on Web
Radiologists and other healthcare professionals who provide services to any patients with ... Read more
Reader Question:
Interps in a Neighboring State
Question: I work for a children's hospital in Delaware. Our radiologists have been asked... Read more
Reader Question:
Ultrasound-Guided Breast Needle Localization
Question: How should I code an ultrasound-guided needle localization (i.e., wire placem... Read more
Reader Question:
Dialysis Graft Thrombolytic Infusion
Question: If our radiologist performs thrombolytic infusion on a dialysis graft f... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Leg Catheter for Vessel Examination
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before loo... Read more
Available Years:  2002  2001  2000  1999