Radiology Coding Alert

Plus: A collection of stent and angioplasty codes have a new look for the new year.

Tired of cluttering up your claims with both abdominal and pelvic CT codes? CPT 2011 has the solution you crave. The AMA has just released its list of the codes you can expect to go into effect Jan. 1, 2011, and included in that list are:

• 74176 -- Computed tomography, abdomen and pelvis; without contrast material
• 74177 -- ... with contrast material(s)
• 74178 -- ... without contrast material in one or both body regions, followed by contrast material(s) and further sections in one or both body regions.

Look for more details in future issues of Radiology Coding Alert, describing proper use of these codes, as well as new codes for nonvascular extremity ultrasound, revised codes for stent placement, endovascular iliac artery repair, and angioplasty RS&I, and more.