Wiki Mira Harrelson

[mira.harrelson@slvrmc.org]

What are the requirements to charge for application of a splint? One of our NPs saw a patient for a wrist fracture. She did not charge fracture care since the patient was referred over to ortho. She did put the patient into a splint. Can we charge for the application of a splint?

 

[anoack2008@hotmail.com]

My guess is that the splint was "off the shelf" or prefabricated since the NP referred the patient to ortho. If this is the case, then you would not separately charge for the application of the splint. A separate code for the application of the splint should only be coded if the splint was custom made or fabricated.

Sincerely,
Ashley Morin CCA, CPC

 

[Kiracodes]

This is not necessarily the case. Our in ER's our NP's and PA's place OCL splints (fabricated) frequently that are not associated with fracture care. They will then refer to ortho for follow-up or for definitive fracture care. I cannot speak for the payers in your region but in Indiana our government payers (WPS) and their respective HMO's, Tricare, and Anthem Federal require the billing provider (physician or APP) to document that they physically placed the splint, that they checked it, and that it was neurovascularly intact (NVI). All of the other payers also allow billing and will allow ancillary staff to do the placement provided that the physician or NPP billing the service is documenting that they checked the splint and it was NVI.

You need to check what kind of splint your NP put on.