Wiki Tracheostomy with Cervical Lipectomy

They are not bundled per NCCI, Manders21. You really need to get access to a copy of NCCI where you can make these checks yourself. AAPC Coder or Supercoder would give you the NCCI and a lot more. You might want to look into these encoder products.
 
They are not bundled per NCCI, Manders21. You really need to get access to a copy of NCCI where you can make these checks yourself. AAPC Coder or Supercoder would give you the NCCI and a lot more. You might want to look into these encoder products.

Hi Barbara,
I'm coming across our doctors, too, trying to bill separately for a cervical lipectomy with the trach, however, I'm trying to justify as medically necessary. Will the lipectomy pay with respiratory diagnoses codes? There are no conditions indicated in the documentation as to why a lipectomy was performed. Documentation just indicates after the incision that, "subcutaneous fat was encountered and excised". Patients are indicated to have vent dependent respiratory failure. We went through a similar circumstance recently where the physicians were trying to bill separately for 60200, division of the isthmus, with the tracheostomy and I had to send an inquiry to AAPC Expert for their response that this service should not be reported separately as they did not want to take my word for it. Seems like they are now trying to see if they can do the lipectomy with the trach since they didn't get the division of isthmus. Can you advise? Thanks!!
 
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We also need to keep in mind that a trach is a separate procedure and which means it is considered integral to any other procedure performed in the same area. From that AMA definition of separate procedure perspective, I would say that the cervical lipectomy would not be coded or billed.
 
We also need to keep in mind that a trach is a separate procedure and which means it is considered integral to any other procedure performed in the same area. From that AMA definition of separate procedure perspective, I would say that the cervical lipectomy would not be coded or billed.
Thank you! :)
 
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