Radiology Coding Alert

A little digging into your local policy can prevent denials.DXA is the gold standard for bone screenings -- a common test for the aging population. Medicare has set up a mix of national and regional rules you need to keep tabs on for claim success. Get started by making sure you have these three areas covered.The codes: There are several bone mass measurement codes, but here the focus will be the following:77080 -- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), bone density study, 1 or more sites; axial skeleton (e.g., hips, pelvis, spine)77081 -- ... appendicular skeleton (peripheral) (e.g., radius, wrist, heel).1. Factor in Frequency GuidelinesMedicare's general rule is that carriers pay for a screening bone mass measurement (BMM), including 77080 and 77081, "once every 2 years (at least 23 months have passed since the month the last covered BMM was performed)" (Medicare Benefit Policy Manual, [MBPM], chapter 15, section 80.5.5). In some cases, you may [...]