Wiki Bill for hardware removal when you perform arthrodesis at the same location?

[Orthocoderpgu]

Patient had a toe replaced which failed. My doc removed the artificial toe (implant) and performed arthrodesis. None of the codes hit an edit, but generally when you have to remove an implant to perform a procedure we normally don't bill the implant removal. Does this sound right or are your clinics billing the implants that are removed?

 

[Venkatakrishnan]

Hi Orthocoderpgu,

What you are thinking is correct only. We do not separately bill for removal of Implant.

Thanks,
Vernon Kreiss

 

[Orthocoderpgu]

Look at page 9 of the Medicare Policy Manual for the musculoskeletal system. It specifically states that if an implant needs to be removed in order to perform a procedure, the removal of the implant is not reported.