July 9 , 2020 Question: My physician removed a soft tissue tumor on the patient’s foot measuring 1.2 cm. Documentation indicates subcutaneous. He is coding this as a benign excision and wants to report CPT code 11422. Can you tell me if this is correct? Answer: The correct CPT code to report is CPT code...
June 25, 2020 Question: What is the appropriate diagnosis code to submit when I do a skin biopsy of the eyelid? Answer: If you are submitting the claim the same day, you could report D49.2 (Neoplasm of unspecified behavior of skin) since the diagnoses is unknown, but it is recommended that you wait for the...
June 11, 2020 Question: What diagnosis code should I use for a patient treated for two malignant lesions, one in the mucosa of the upper lip and a second in the mucosa of the lower lip? Answer: You will need two diagnosis codes. C00.3-Malignant neoplasm of upper lip, inner aspect and C00.4-Malignant neoplasm of lower...
May 28, 2020 Question: We had a Medicare patient who came in with AKs and a lesion on the eyelid. Twenty AKs were destroyed on the patient’s chest and scalp and an incisional biopsy was performed on the lesion on the eyelid, what CPT codes do I use? Answer: You will need to report both...
May 14, 2020 Question: Can a nurse bill a 99211 as “incident to” for a telemedicine visit? Answer: If all the “incident to” rules are met and the physician and nurse are in the same suite, yes. Or if all “incident to” rules are met and the nurse and patient are in the same location...
April 30, 2020 Question: What documentation is needed to bill for a phone only visit besides time? Answer: There aren’t any specific rules about documenting telephone calls for covered telephone call services during the current public health emergency, but the general principles of documentation should be your guide. Remember that medical necessity should be documented,...
April 16, 2020 Question: How do we bill for Q3014 when we perform a teledermatology visit with video? Answer: Q3014 is not billed by the provider performing the visit (real-time audio and video) when the patient is at a different location. Q3014 is only billed by facilities if a patient goes to a facility and uses the facility’s technology...
April 2, 2020 Question: Now that we aren’t limited to HIPAA compliant software, can we use any app or platform to conduct a telemedicine visit? Answer: You may use any app or platform that is not “public facing” according to HHS. Platforms such as Facebook Live, Twitch, and TikTok are considered public facing. Skype, FaceTime,...
March 19, 2020 Question: What diagnosis code is reported for yeast dermatitis? Answer: You would report B36.8 (Other specified superficial mycoses) for yeast dermatitis. *This response is based on the best information available as of 3/19/20.
March 5, 2020 Question: Would I code a melanocytic nevi of the right shoulder with ICD-10-CM code D48.5? Answer: No, you would not use D48.5 which is neoplasm of uncertain behavior. The only time you would report D48.5 is when you have confirmation from a pathology or histology report stating behavior is uncertain or unpredictable....
