Radiology Coding Alert

See what the CCI manual says about coding multiple approaches.

Coding edits make many people think of component services being bundled into comprehensive services, such as an RS&I code bundled into a procedure code whose descriptor states includes radiological supervision and interpretation. But thats not the only reason the Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) creates edits.

For example, CCI may create a mutually exclusive code pair if its medically impossible or improbable a provider would perform the two services together, says Frank Cohen, MPA, senior analyst with MIT Solutions Inc. in Clearwater, Fla., in his March 25, 2009, webinar NCCI Version 15.1 Update.

Compare CCI Manual Rule to New Edits

From the source: Multiple approaches to the same procedure are mutually exclusive of one another and should not be reported separately, according to chapter 1 of the National Correct Coding Initiative Policy Manual (www.cms.hhs.gov/NationalCorrectCodInitEd/).

For instance, CCI creates edits preventing you from reporting transurethral approach codes 50385 and 50386 with percutaneous codes 50382 and 50384, as shown in the chart below.

Similarly, the 50593/50592 edit prevents reporting radiofrequency with cryotherapy renal tumor ablation.