Revenue Cycle Insider
Diagnostic Radiology Coding:
Can You Report Phone Calls to Discuss Test Results?
Published on Tue Apr 08, 2025
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 of
April 2025
- Compliance:
Signatures Are Key to Proving Validity
Question: I was told that providers had to sign off on the encounters before creating/submitting [...] - Optometry/Ophthalmology Coding:
Crack the Code on This Damaged IOL Insertion Case
Question: I have a surgical report in which the surgeon performed cataract surgery. The surgeon [...] - Path/Lab Coding:
Understand These 2 LCDs Before Coding This Reparatory Pathogen Panel
Question: What is the correct way to bill for COVID, influenza A and B, and [...] - Primary Care Coding:
Perfect Your Coding When Physicians See Patients in Nursing Homes, Hospice
Plus: Nail down the right SNF visit codes. When your primary care provider sees patients [...] - Primary Care Coding:
Some Specificity Needed for Alcohol Use Reporting
Question: My practitioner recently documented “occasional alcohol use” in the social history section of a patient’s [...] - Primary Care Coding:
Use the Index to Correctly Code This Ataxia With Stroke Case
Question: During a patient’s annual wellness exam, my provider documented “ataxia with history of stroke.” [...] - Optometry/Ophthalmology Coding:
Identify the Code for Eyelid Retraction Injections
Question: A patient presented with complaints of chronic bilateral upper lid cicatricial retraction with lagophthalmos. [...] - E/M Coding:
Use These Strategies to Educate Providers, Part 1
Feel confident that you have knowledge to offer. Coders may have nightmares about the awkwardness [...] - Emergency Department Coding:
Check for Guidance Before Reporting Elbow Injection
Question: A 42-year-old patient presented to the emergency department (ED) with left elbow pain and swelling [...] - Emergency Department Coding:
Constant Worry Could Be Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Question: If a patient has a diagnosis of “overanxious disorder,” what is the appropriate ICD-10-CM [...] - Pulmonology Coding:
Build Your Pulmonary Hypertension Coding Knowledge
Learn what separates the pulmonary hypertension codes. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be defined as high [...] - Technology & Innovation:
Provide In-Home Pediatric Hospital Care
Question: Many families have asked about at-home hospital services for their young children. We have [...] - Diagnostic Radiology Coding:
Risks Are Too High to Gamble With Radiology Revenue
With radiology claims under tighter OIG scrutiny, compliance is always your safest bet. Radiology has [...] - Diagnostic Radiology Coding:
Solve This Sinus Tract Coding Question
Question: A patient presented to a radiology practice with complaints of chronic sinusitis. The patient’s [...] - Medicare Regulations :
Attention: Medicare Patient Appeal Changes Are Here!
Select inpatient to observation patient status changes can be scrutinized now, and even as far [...] - Practice Management:
Try This Networking Tip to Boost Referrals
Question: I work for a specialty practice, and our providers are hoping to boost their [...] - Pediatric Coding:
Know the Dos and Don’ts of Type 1 Diabetes Coding
Make sure you add these 2025 ICD-10 code updates to your list. There’s a lot [...] - Ob-Gyn Coding:
Knot in the Umbilical Cord: Do You Know What to Do?
Question: We had a patient come in with a knot in the umbilical cord. We [...] - Pulmonology Coding:
Are Patients New or Established When a Provider Changes Practices?
Question: I code for a pulmonologist who recently made the move from a private clinic [...] - Oncology Coding:
Find the Key to This Immunotherapy Encounter
Question: What is the correct primary diagnosis code for Keytruda? Should I use Z51.11 or Z51.12? Also, [...] - Technology & Innovation:
Use Health Data Statistics to Drive Decisions in Healthcare
Learn how margin of error and CIs affect the interpretation of results. From patient admission [...] - Otolaryngology Coding:
Avoid Integumentary Code for This Ear Lesion Removal
Question: Our otolaryngologist excised an ear canal lesion from a patient’s left ear. The op [...] - Technology & Innovation:
Coordinate With Chatbots to Improve Patient Happiness
Question: Like many healthcare practices, there are times when we see more patients than usual, [...] - Pulmonology Coding:
Report Noninvasive Oxygenation Assessments With a Category III Code
Question: I have a procedure report that lists the service performed as “noninvasive assessment of [...] - Diagnostic Radiology Coding:
Can You Report Phone Calls to Discuss Test Results?
Question: A patient presented for a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan of their axial skeleton. [...] - Otolaryngology Coding:
Understand the Difference Between Caloric Vestibular Tests
Question: In a recent note on a patient who came in for vestibular testing following [...] - Path/Lab Coding:
Stay on Top of April Updates for Path/Lab MUEs, Fees, and ICD-10-CM
Plus, see what’s in store for PLA changes in July. The second quarter of 2025 [...] - Urology Coding:
Purpose of the PSA Test Will Determine Proper Coding
Question: An elderly patient was complaining of frequent urination during their annual exam. They also mentioned [...] - Pediatric Coding:
Remember This Nosebleed Treatment Coding Tip
Question: A patient presented bleeding from both nostrils and received treatment. Are nosebleed treatment codes [...] - Practice Management:
Shout About Language Facility
Question: Some of our providers are bilingual or multilingual. How can I let patients and [...] - E/M Coding:
Don’t Count on Reimbursement for Nonphysician EMR Adjustments
Question: If a clinical staff member or scribe makes entries into a patient’s medical record, [...] - ICD-10-CM Coding:
Understand ‘Unspecified Behavior’ Traits for Neoplasm Diagnosis
Question: A patient’s medical record says they have cancer of the neck, but the pathologist’s [...] - Anesthesia Coding:
Bust These Reimbursement Myths
Find clarity on how teaching anesthesiologists should be paid. Whoever said knowledge is power perhaps [...] - Ob-Gyn Coding:
How to Code a Lesion Incision and Removal
Question: I'm struggling with how to code this procedure: From the op note: 2x1 cm [...] - General Surgery Coding:
Purpose of Fat Transfer Determines Proper Code Choice
Question: Our general surgeon performed a revision of a reconstructed breast. The surgeon used a [...] - Pediatric Coding:
Follow These Steps for Coding Cellulitis Encounter
Question: An established 8-year-old patient presents with a slight fever and a red, blistered area [...] - Optometry/Ophthalmology Coding:
Thrive Under Pressure While Coding Glaucoma Treatments — Part 2
Find out if traditional or MIGS surgeries are more common. In the first part of [...] - Anesthesia Coding:
Account for ‘Time’ Based on These Moments
Question: How do I know when to start “counting” for time for anesthesia services? Florida [...] - ICD-10-CM Coding:
Take Heed of Patient’s Fancies
Question: A patient arrived at our emergency department (ED) presenting with pain while breathing, a dry [...] - Orthopedic Coding:
Unravel the Complexities of Coding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome — Part 2
Remember the ICD-10-CM 5th character specifies laterality. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs when the tunnel [...] - Ob-Gyn Coding:
True or False: Adhesiolysis Can Be Separately Reimbursed — Find Out
The key term is “extensive.” Some medical coders think lysis of adhesions codes are impossible [...] - Path/Lab Coding:
Go the Distance, Understand Specimen Collection Travel Allowance Codes
Question: We are a primary care practice with a traveling phlebotomist and our own lab, [...]
View All
