Wiki HELP!!! Billing for cosmetic along with medically payable skin tags

[suzanneloeb]

Has anyone come across their physician removing skin tags that are inflamed, bleeding and changing in appearance along with ones that are considered cosmetic? If so how did you bill to accommodate both? I am pretty new to derm billing and have never come across a situation that both types were removed. I don't feel confident in billing both the patient for the cosmetic ones and procedure code 11200. If any one has any experience in this, I would greatly appreciate direction.

 

[Thouvenel]

Bill all of the removals with the appropriate diagnosis codes; the insurance company should put the ones that aren't covered to patient balance. Remember if it is a Medicare patient to have the ABN signed before the surgery.

 

[CodingKing]

Its hard to tell without knowing how many removed for medical necessity vs cosmetic. The code is for 1-15 so just 1 was medically necessary the other 14 are already paid for whether medically necessary or not so they are just freebies.