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Radiology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Think Twice Before Reporting CT+CTA

Published on Tue Feb 09, 2010

Question: Is it appropriate to report both a CT and CTA of the same anatomic area performed on the same date? West Virginia Subscriber Answer: Typically, charging for both CT and CTA exams of the same anatomic area on the same date is not appropriate. You should report the CTA alone. CCI support: The Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits bundle many CT and CTA codes for the same anatomic areas. For example, CCI bundles CT codes 70450-70470 (Computed tomography, head or brain ...) into CTA code 70496 (Computed tomographic angiography, head, with contrast material[s], including noncontrast images, if performed, and image postprocessing). These edits have a modifier indicator of "1," which means you may override them by appending a modifier to the CT code when appropriate. Rationale: Acquiring CTA data involves taking a few noncontrast images for calibration and identification followed by a full set of with-contrast CT data, according [...]
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