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Urology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Global Periods

Published on Mon May 01, 2000

Question: Do radioactive prostate seed implants and debridement (major) for Fournieres gangrene have global periods?

California Subscriber

Answer: Medicare and most private payers have determined that CPT 55859 (transperineal placement of needles or catheters into prostate for interstitial radioelement application, with or without cystoscopy), exposure of the prostate codes (55860-55865) and the radiologic seed placement codes (77777-77778) are all subject to a 90-day global period. CPT codes 11040-11043 may be reported for the treatment of Fournieres gangrene.
The appropriate code depends on the depth of debridement. Codes 11040-11042 do not have a global period for Medicare payers. Medicare has assigned a
10-day global period to code 11043. Private payers may follow Medicares lead to assign their own global policy to these codes.
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