July 9, 2020 Question: I placed subdural stereo-EEG electrodes for epilepsy monitoring. What is the code for removal of these electrodes? I’ve been billing 61880 for removal of each electrode up to 10 or 13 units depending on how many electrodes I remove. My new coder said she’s not sure we are using the correct...
June 25, 2020 Question: When placing pedicle screws, do I bill per pedicle screw or per level? For example, pedicle screws and rods at L5-S1, is it 22840 x 4 units or just 22840? Answer: The posterior spinal instrumentation codes are used once per construct. So pedicle screws and rods at L5-S1 is 22840 only....
June 11, 2020 Question: I did a posterior lumbar fusion bilaterally. Can I bill 22612 with modifier 50 for bilateral procedures? I looked at CPT and it doesn’t say that I can’t bill modifier 50 on any of the fusion codes. Answer: Interesting question! This brings up the point that the CPT book can’t possibly...
May 28, 2020 Question: We are doing a combined case with ENT and are not sure how to code it. The patient has a semi-circular canal dehiscence of the temporal bone. ENT is going to do the approach and I’m going to do the repair of the defect with local bone. We will use mesh...
May 14, 2020 Question: Since we have to bring the patients back in for COVID testing and H&P for Joint Commission, can we bill for this visit even though it’s another pre-op visit? Answer: Yes, since the patient was rescheduled due to the pandemic and needs to be seen for a COVID swab prior to surgery,...
April 30, 2020 Question: We cannot locate a response from any reliable coding resource about how to bill telephone calls lasting more than 30 min. Do you have any guidance on this topic? Answer: Although telephone calls for both new and established patients are temporarily billable during the current COVID-19 public health emergency, there is...
April 16, 2020 Question: If the provider is working remotely from home (temporarily), what would the place of service (POS) be? Answer: If billing telehealth visits (with real-time audio and video) then the POS would be the place of service where the provider would have normally seen the patient (office, or hospital-based clinic, etc.) for...
April 2, 2020 Question: I heard that Medicare patients don’t have to pay their deductible or coinsurance if they have a telemedicine visit. Is this true? Answer: Medicare is not waiving deductibles or co-insurance. However, they are allowing providers to do so at their discretion without penalty for telemedicine visits. This means the provider will...
March 19, 2020 Question: For patients that are having surgery that day, I’ve been doing pre-op visits that morning (coming in earlier), and not doing a pre-op visit in clinic the week before surgery. Can I bill a follow up visit for the meeting/note (H&P) that occurs the morning of surgery? Answer: No—a routine pre-op...
March 5, 2020 Question: I sent a patient out to the hospital for a CT scan and the patient brought in the actual images and the radiologist’s report for me to review. Can I charge 76140 (Consultation on X-ray examination made elsewhere, written report) when I personally interpret those images and write my own report?...
