Append modifier 81 to a procedure code for an assistant surgeon when he assists an operating, or principal, surgeon during part of a procedure.
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Question: I've been getting a handful of denials from Humana about ICD-10-CM codes being inappropriately billed together. I assume it’s due to the codes not being mutually exclusive. However, N18.32, E83.52, N25.81, and E55.9 are all very different diagnosis codes. [...]
Bolster your knowledge of this growing epidemic. Since 2014, e-cigarettes (vapes) have been the most commonly used tobacco product among U.S. middle and high school students, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Besides being an addiction [...]
Hint: Look at your ICD-10-CM long-term drug use appendix. Whether you’re coding the long-term use of a drug targeting a specific cancer, a drug targeting a condition caused by the cancer, a drug targeting the side effects of a cancer [...]
There’s more to the condition than coding J02.-. Pharyngitis coding seems basic on the surface. When a patient sees your otolaryngologist for a sore throat, you turn to J02.- (Acute pharyngitis) and select the appropriate code from the four subcategories [...]
Don’t forget to brush up on your ADHD coding knowledge. If your provider has been administering more Vanderbilt Assessment screenings than usual, you shouldn’t be surprised. That’s because attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) diagnoses have been steadily rising over the last [...]
Hint: You can’t use the code for every EGD procedure. The CPT® code range for esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) procedures is 43235 to 43259; savvy coders know how to find the most precise fit for a patient depending on the specific circumstances [...]
Add all relevant codes linked to the diagnosis to avoid denials. Coders must be meticulous when dealing with incontinence coding due to the variety of categories and conditions. Each condition has its own specific coding requirements that need to be [...]
Question: I work at a family medicine practice and our providers see patients with asthma. When I’m coding asthma, the diagnosis codes want specificity. If their provider doesn’t specifically mention whether the asthma is extrinsic or intrinsic, what other clues [...]
Question: Our pediatrician saw a 6-day-old baby for the first time and diagnosed an umbilical granuloma. The physician treated the patient with a concentrated silver nitrate solution, applied topically. How should I code this encounter? Kansas Subscriber Answer: Since the [...]
Hint: ICDs treat ventricular tachycardia. Sharon Jane Oliver, CPC, CDEO, CPMA, CRC, discussed various devices cardiologists use to treat different conditions in patients such as bradycardia, tachycardia, and arrhythmias, at the 2024 Regional HEALTHCON session “Cardiology: Conditions, Procedures, and Devices.” [...]
