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Removal of Lumbar Drain
December 13, 2018 Question: I received a call from one of our PAs regarding the removal of a lumbar drain…
Laminectomies at Separate Spinal Regions
November 29, 2018 Question: Quick question, if one of our doctors did a laminectomy facetectomy at L3-L4 and then through…
Cervico-cerebral Imaging Codes
November 15, 2018 Question: What’s not included in the diagnostic cervico-cerebral imaging codes and can be reported separately? Answer: The…
Payment for 20930/20936
November 1, 2018 Question: Will payors reimburse 20930 or 20936? Answer: Yes! Payment depends on the specific payor and plan. …
Vasospasm Treatment with Aneurysm Coiling
October 18, 2018 Question: Can you bill for treatment of vasospasm (61650) when also treating the same vascular territory you…
Modifier 22
October 4, 2018 Question: My neurosurgeon just came back from surgery – he had a really bad day. He wants…
Postop Consult
September 20, 2018 Question: If a rehab facility I have privileges at consults me for a postop patient in postop…
Diagnosis Coding for Hydrocephalus
September 6, 2018 Question: What is the ICD-10-CM code for hydrocephalus following an intraventricular hemorrhage? Answer: That depends on how…
Coding Twist Drill Ventriculostomy with Craniotomy/Craniectomy
August 23, 2018 Question: When is it ok to unbundle 61107 from the craniotomy/craniectomy code? Answer: It is acceptable to…
Refresh your Referral Building
Physicians Practice – August 22, 2018 by Karen Zupko Years ago, a “good referral” was described using the Three A’s…
Microscope with Carotid Endarterectomy
August 9, 2018 Question: Can we code the microscope (69990) with 35301, carotid endarterectomy? Answer: CPT does not list 35301…
When is it OK to “Unbundle” 22845 from 22853?
July 26, 2018 Question: When is it acceptable to use modifier 59 on 22845 to unbundle it from 22853? Answer:…
Bundling of +22845 with +22853
July 12, 2018 Question: How do we avoid non-payment for 22845 with 22853? Answer: Good question! Medicare instituted a National…
Microscope with 63030 Issues
June 28, 2018 Question: Why do some insurance companies pay for the microscope (+69990) when we bill it for a…
Multiple Procedure Payment Formula
June 14, 2018 Question: What is Medicare’s multiple procedure payment formula? When I do more than one procedure, I know…
ICD-10-CM Code for DBS Battery/Generator Replacement
May 31, 2018 Question: We are using the diagnosis code of T85.190 (Other mechanical complication of implanted electronic neurostimulator of…
Carotid Stenting and Diagnostic Angiograms
May 17, 2018 Question: I was told that no diagnostic angiogram can be billed with a carotid stent. Is this…
ICD-10-CM Code for Spinal Stenosis
May 3, 2018 Question: Should the code set M48.0- be used for both central canal stenosis and foraminal stenosis? Answer:…
Evacuation of Cervical Epidural Hematoma
April 19, 2018 Question: How do I code a cervical laminectomy with extradural epidural hematoma evacuation? I was thinking about…
Removal of Halo
March 29, 2018 Question: One of my neurosurgeons saw a new patient in the office for evaluation of neck pain…
Placement of Lumbar Subarachnoid Drain
March 15, 2018 Question: My neurosurgeon states he placed a subarachnoid drain in the lumbar spine after a craniotomy for…
Injection of Marcaine into Muscle/Skin
March 1, 2018 Question: My neurosurgeon always injects Marcaine into the muscle and skin incision prior to closure after spine…
Intradural Neurolysis of Spinal Cord with Laminectomy for Tumor Removal
February 15, 2018 Question: One of our neurosurgeons did a thoracic laminectomy and removal of intradural, intramedullary tumor. He says…
Blood Clot and Tumor Removal – 1 or 2 Codes?
February 1, 2018 Question: Hemorrhagic tumor – I removed tumor and blood clot surrounding the tumor. Can I use 61510…
Assistant Surgeon Payments
January 18, 2018 Question: We are seeing payers ask for payment back when we use Modifier 80 for assistant surgeon.…
Billing “Incident to”
January 4, 2018 Question: Whose NPI number do we bill under when a PA sees the patient in the office…
Moderate Sedation Denials. How do we get paid for 99153?
December 14, 2017 Question: We are billing the new moderate sedation codes, but are getting denied on the second 15…
Billing Medicare Patient Admittance
November 30, 2017 Question: I was consulted to see a Medicare patient in the emergency room (ER) by the Emergency…
Global Period for Surgery. Is it billable?
November 16, 2017 Question: My patient presented to the ED with an infection at the incision site from a surgery…
Post-Op hemorrhage repair. Is it billable?
November 2, 2017 Question: Can I bill for taking the patient back to the OR to explore and repair post-op…
Articles
Stay Current with Spine Procedural Coding
AAPC News – May 2017 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP See how spine procedure codes, guidelines, and reporting have…
2017 Spine CPT Code Changes
AAOS Now – November 2016 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP Spine surgeons face a multitude of Current Procedural…
Spine Practices May Lose Money When They Do Not Bill for Consults
Healio- October 2016 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP and Teri Romano, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP Medicare eliminated payment…
Spine Surgery Quandary: Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion
Healthcare Business Monthly – June 2016 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP When do you bill 63056-59 with 22633,…
Follow an eight-step formula for correct spine coding
Spine Surgery Today, September/October 2014 Teri Romano, RN, MBA, CPC, and Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC Reporting the “just right”…
Follow an Eight-Step Formula for Correct Spine Coding
Follow an Eight-Step Formula for Correct Spine Coding – September/October 2014 by Teri Romano, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP and Kim Pollock,…
Procedure Coding Made Simple: Five Principles Will Help You Capture Appropriate Charges for Spine Surgeries
Procedure Coding Made Simple: Five Principles Will Help You Capture Appropriate Charges for Spine Surgeries – September 2013 by Kim Pollock, RN,…
Coding For Same Day Anterior-Posterior Spine Procedures: Four Myths Clarified
Coding For Same Day Anterior-Posterior Spine Procedures: Four Myths Clarified – November / December 2012 by Kim Pollock, RN, MBA, CPC, CMDP…
Webinars
2017 Update for Vascular Surgery
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Vascular coding just got a lot more complicated! Interventions of AV grafts/fistulas, which…
2017 Updates in General Surgery
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars 30-Minute Zipinar: Fast, Efficient Learning! What You Need to Know and…
Audits and the Modifier 25 for Pain Physicians
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars About The Zipinar Will Answer What is the 25 modifier and…
Therapy Functional Limitation Reporting
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Join Sarah Wiskerchen in this 38 minute webinar as she steps through…
Coding and Coverage of Bariatric Procedures
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Getting paid for open and laparoscopic bariatric procedures requires that surgeons…
Navigating Coverage Policies in Varicose Vein Treatment
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars The treatment of varicose veins, in your office or in a…
Hand Coding II
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Build on your knowledge of hand coding. This course addresses the…
Hand Coding I
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Staff and managers new to hand coding who want to code…
Documenting and Coding for Mohs Micrographic Surgery in 7 Steps
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Join Deb Grider in this 24 minute Zipinar as she reviews…
Arthroscopy Coding Bundle - Hip, Knee and Shoulder
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars $179 Hip, Knee, and Shoulder included! (Best Value) Buy Now Hip…
2018 Update in Otolaryngology Coding and Reimbursement
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars More Info What’s Discussed There are many important CPT code changes…
2018 Coding Update for Vascular Surgery
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Once again, vascular surgery has undergone sweeping changes in codes and…
How to Prepare for a Payment Audit: Tactical Strategies for Defense
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Whether you’ve already received an audit notice or you’d like to…
Telehealth: Are You Ready for the New Frontier of Medicine?
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars Considering offering telehealth services to patients? Already offering telehealth but wondering…
MIPS Made Easier for Surgeons
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars More Info You Will Learn MIPS enters its second year and…
2017 Coding Update for Spine Surgery
On Demand Learning Learn on Your Own Time Webinars More Info Who Should Watch? Orthopaedic surgeons Neurosurgeons Practice managers Billing…