Wiki Splint Applications-primary care physician

[britbrit852003]

I work for a primary care physician and there has been some disagreaments regarding charging for the application of a DME supply.
The scenario is that a patient comes in for carpal tunnel pain and the provider wants to give her a wrist splint (L3908) to wear. Does the provider get to charge the application of that splint?
We have the same question is regards to any type of splint or supply that they get from a box or that you could go to a medical supply store or a walmart type store to get; that just gets strapped on like a knee brace and things that do not require too much work for the provider to just put on.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[ckuebelbeck]

Putting on a wrist brace would be part of the E&M charge.

 

[lchilliard]

I work for a podiatrist and we bill several DME codes. If you look at the definition of most if not all "L" codes you will see that fitting and adjustment of the DME is included in the code itself. Your code L3908 does state this code includes the fitting and adjustment of the device. You cannot charge a separate code for its application.

There could be a separate E/M code of course to evaluate pt. and come to a diagnosis and decision for the need of a DME supply but no separate charge for its application since that is included in the definition of the supply itself.

Lee Hilliard RN CPC CPC-H
Puyallup WA