Coding Resources
GENERAL SURGERY
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October 14, 2021 Question: I’m a general surgeon. Some of my team are reporting the negative pressure wound therapy codes…
September 30, 2021 Question: In the past, when I did a total thyroidectomy and I needed to re-implant a parathyroid…
September 16, 2021 Question: If a code does not specify whether the procedure described is laparoscopic or open, is it…
September 2, 2021 Question: How do I report placement of a mesh implant in the abdomen that is not a…
August 19, 2021 Question: I’ve been dictating CPT and ICD-10-CM codes in my procedure note so that my coder knows…
August 5, 2021 Question: Can you give guidance on CPT 15860 as it pertains to colorectal surgery? My surgeons have…
July 22, 2021 Question: What happened to the skin biopsy codes? I submitted a claim for 11101 (skin biopsy) and…
July 8, 2021 Question: We are hiring a scribe for the doctor because it will help improve his documentation. Is…
June 24, 2021 Question: Our physicians utilize residents during surgery but we have a discrepancy in what is considered a…
June 10, 2021 Question: Can you code a PTH (blood draw), during a parathyroidectomy? Answer: Monitoring the Parathyroid hormone (PTH),…
May 27, 2021 Question: I was told I cannot bill for FAST exams done in the ED for a trauma…
May 13, 2021 Question: What is REBOA and how is it coded? Answer: REBOA is used in trauma for patients…
April 29, 2021 Question: The surgeon accidentally nicked a vessel not involved in the bypass being performed, can he bill…
April 15, 2021 Question: A vascular surgeon is requested to come to the OR to repair a blood vessel that…
April 1, 2021 Question: Our general surgeon performed a radical mastectomy and is now performing a port placement, at a…
March 18, 2021 Question: Do some insurance carriers want modifier 58 and others want 78? What is the difference in…
March 4, 2021 Question: A major blood vessel was accidentally nicked while a general surgeon was performing a complex case.…
February 18, 2021 Question: My surgeon was called into a laparoscopic operation that was already underway, to perform extensive lysis…
February 4, 2021 Question: The surgeon performed an open colectomy and found a tear in the mesentery close to the…
January 21, 2021 Question: In the new guidelines, how does Time affect billing for a teaching physician’s E/M service when…
December 17, 2020 Question: I’ve heard that all you need to document for family history is the word “none”, and…
December 3, 2020 Question: Our surgeon insists on billing for 49002 reopening of a recent laparotomy and a 44005 lysis…
November 12, 2020 Question: My coder just told me about the new guidelines for 2021 office visit codes. She said…
October 29, 2020 Question: While performing an enterostomy closure (44626) a tear in the small bowel was made during extensive…
October 15, 2020 Question: The surgeon did a robotic/laparoscopic cholecystectomy and cholangiogram with icy green and firefly identification of biliary anatomy.…
October 1, 2020 Question: The new guidelines that are coming out in 2021 for all types of E/M services, right?…
September 17, 2020 Question: We did an abdominal fat pad biopsy for primary cutaneous Amyloidosis. Would 49180 or 11104 be…
September 3, 2020 Question: The surgeon described the procedure as a ‘hand assisted laparoscopy” He brought part of the bowel…
August 20, 2020 Question: I work with a surgeon and we see just a few Medicare patients. The surgeon believes…
August 6, 2020 Question: My surgeon performed all the components of a Hartmann procedure 44143 but did not create a…
Articles
Does My Documentation Tell the Story in Critical Care? SCCM Critical Connections – August 2019 by Deborah Grider The initial and…
AAOSNow – July 2017 by Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA, and Cheryl Toth, MBA Coding May Not Be the Reason…
Liability Management 101 – August 2016 by Michael R. Marks, MD, MBA Why Malpractice Insurance Is Not Enough Today’s orthopaedic practices…
AAOS Now – July 2016 by Cheryl Toth, MBA New announcements and guidance push providers toward an active program If your…
Greenbranch – May/June 2013 Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC Many physicians continue to wrestle with an economy-in-recovery and declining reimbursements. In…
Physicians Practice – 2016 by Karen Zupko What has your billing service done for you lately? A good vendor does more than just…
Mystery Shopping Results Indicate a Need for Improvement – April 2016 by Karen Zupko and Samantha Lappe After the news of a…
by Kyle M. Lee Survey finds a smooth road so far On Oct. 1, 2015, the 10th revision of the…
by Deborah Grider, CPC, COC, CPC-I, CPC-P, CEMC, CPMA, CCS-P, CDIP Certified AHIMA Clinical Documentation Improvement Practitioner AHIMA-Approved ICD-10-CM/PCS Trainer…
The American Journal of Orthopedics – December 2015 by Karen Zupko, BSJ If you are a solo orthopedic surgeon or…
Greenbranch – Nov/Dec 2015 by Cheryl Toth, MBA, and Michael J. Sacopulos, JD Many physicians and practice staff use short messaging…
Physicians Practice – September 2013 by Karen Zupko and Cheryl Toth, MBA Several years ago, we visited a practice in…
The American Journal of Orthopedics – May 2015 by Cheryl Toth, MBA An 8-surgeon group in the Southeast had a…
The Journal of Medical Practice Management – January/February 2015 by Cheryl Toth, MBA With the proper planning and preparation, nonphysician…
The American Journal of Orthopedics – January 2015 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD Tearful breakdowns and loud outbursts—they happen with…
The American Journal of Orthopedics – September 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD On initial consideration, the patient portal portion…
Journal of Medical Practice Management – May/June 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD, and Sherry DeJarnette, CPA There are many reasons to…
AAOS Now – April 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD In addition to the compliance and security issues highlighted in…
AAOS Now – April 2014 by Jennifer A. O’Brien, MSOD When a physician gives an order to a nurse, technician,…
AAOS Now – February 2014 by Cheryl L. Toth, MBA Recently, an orthopaedic surgeon remarked that he was thinking about…
Plastic Surgery News Connection – 2013 by Karen Zupko If you’ve been “too busy” to update your Business Associate Agreements…
Journal of Practice Management – May/June 2000; July/August 2000; September/October 2000 by James G. Stuart J.D. This is the first…
