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2018 CPC Practice Exam Answer Key 150 Questions With Full Rationale (HCPCS, ICD-9-CM, ICD-10, CPT Codes) Click here for more sample CPC practice exam questions with Full Rationale Answers

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Spinal neurostim lead adapter revision question CPT 63663

(I code for a hospital outpatient facility.)
I came across a case today and was wondering if anyone else had dealt with this situation?
Pt comes in for a neurostim generator change (due to dead battery) but the old leads (that are functioning fine) do not have the same connector that the new generator needs to connect to. There is an adapter "extension" that has to be placed in order for the old leads to hook into the new generator.
I coded it as a lead revision 63663 but I didn’t feel great about lumping "plugging in an adapter" with actually revising or even repositioning those leads. I added a -52 modifier.
The more I think about it… I could see coding the 63663 IF there was an issue with the leads not being long enough or the patient having some other problem with the leads themselves but they were fine and required no adjustments. It was actually the new generator that needed the adapter to work with the existing leads.
Am I just thinking about this too hard? I have to justify the supply codes that are going over and don’t want to go with anything unlisted (obvs) but feel like 63663 is so much more extensive than what was done during this encounter…
I can’t find any guidance on line regarding adapters. If anyone has seen any literature or has an opinion, I would LOVE to hear it.
Thanks in advance!

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Attempted Bi-V Pacemaker – Only one active lead – Please HELP!!!

Can someone please help! He placed a bi-v generator and RV lead. He plugged the atrial port and isn’t planning to place an atrial lead. He is planning to come back in 4-6 weeks to place the LV lead.
The patient will ultimately be left with a bi-v generator and active RV and LV leads but for now the patient essentially has one active lead.

Any help is MUCH appreciated!!!

PREPROCEDURE DIAGNOSES:
1. Atrial fibrillation.
2. Rapid ventricular response.
3. Tachymedia.
4. Cardiomyopathy.

POSTPROCEDURE DIAGNOSES:
1. Atrial fibrillation.
2. Rapid ventricular response.
3. Tachymedia.
4. Cardiomyopathy.

PROCEDURE: Attempted Bi-V pacemaker implant but complicated by dissection of the CS.

PROCEDURE COURSE: Mrs. Young presented to the EP lab in the fasting state. She was in AFib with RVR. The procedure was performed under conscious sedation with the assistance of our anesthesia colleagues. She was administered 2 grams of Ancef prior to the start of the case. After the huddle, she was prepped and draped in usual sterile fashion. After the timeout, a pocket was created in the left subclavian space using a blade, blunt dissection and electrocautery. After hemostasis was achieved in the pocket, using the 1st rib approach, venous access was obtained x 2 over the first guidewire, a 7-French tear-away sheath was placed in the SVC. Through this lead, an MRI compatible Medtronic pace is 5076 lead was advanced into the RV apical septum and the helix was extended despite yielded excellent pacing and sensing parameters with sensing of 14 millivolts and capture threshold of 0.25 volts with a pacing impedance of 532. The sheath was removed and the lead was tied down to the pectoralis fascia with nonabsorbable suture. Over the second guidewire, a 9 French sheath was placed and through this a straight Attain and a Josephson catheter and this was unable to cannulate the CS. Then, we used a medium hook Attain and this too was unable to cannulate the CS and then we used the larger hook Attain and this was able to finally get access into the CS. It was difficult as it was a fairly posterior takeoff but got access that was not overly difficult; however, upon advancing the sheath noted that in placing the sheath in the CS. Then, with a balloon tipped catheter, a venogram of the CS was performed showing that we had dissected the CS. I did try to pass a wire, but it was never in the true lumen and was unable to place a guidewire. She remained hemodynamically stable through this. Given this and I now have an idea of where the CS was located. I think that the best course of action will be to bring her back in approximately 4-6 weeks and place an LV lead at that time and do the AV node ablation. The 9-French sheath was removed and hemostasis achieved with manual pressure. The pocket was then cleansed with vancomycin solution and then a BiV pacemaker was used to plug in the atrial port as there was no plan in putting an atrial lead given that she has now permanent atrial fibrillation. The LV lead port was plugged and the RV pace sense lead was attached to the device and the device and leads were placed into the pocket. Pocket was then closed in 3 layers with absorbable suture. Device check confirmed appropriate capture and sensing of the RV lead then Steri-Strips and dry sterile dressing were placed over the wound. Mrs. Young tolerated the procedure well without apparent complications. A chest x-ray will be obtained tonight. Plan will be to return in approximately 4-6 weeks for addition of an LV lead at that time and AV node ablation. She is set up at VVI 50.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Diagnostic Lead Evaluation

In CPT 2018 Professional on page 203 it says on the top right of the page: To report Fluoroscopic guidance for diagnostic lead evaluation without lead insertion, replacement, or revision procedures, use 76000.
Can someone give me an example of this? Can you tell me when a Diagnostic Lead Evaluation is necessitated? I’m having a derp moment. :confused:
Thanks,

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Adding new LV lead with pacemaker generator change, old LV lead not removed

Need help please. Our provider changed biventricular pacemaker due to depletion of the battery and noticed that LV lead was not working and inserted new one. it was not removed but new one added. I coded the scenario as 33229 and 33224 but 33229 is not allowed with 33224. Should I use 33225 instead?
thank so much for help.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Flint’s Water Crisis Triggers a Lead Lawsuit Affecting 30,000 Children

Flint, Michigan’s water crisis forces screening and in-depth health assessments of 30,000 children who were exposed to lead-tainted drinking water. The water crisis occurred between April 2014-October 2015, when the Flint water supply was switched from Detroit’s treated Lake Huron water to polluted Flint River water. The 18-month exposure to lead-contaminated water may have long-term […]
AAPC Knowledge Center

Outpatient coding, billing errors continue to lead to majority of automated denials

By Steven Andrews

Outpatient coding and billing errors lead to more than half of all automated denials by Recovery Auditors, according to the latest RACTrac survey from the American Hospital Association (AHA).
 
The survey of more than 2,500 hospitals, conducted during the third quarter 2015, found that 40% of automated denials were the result of outpatient billing errors, while 20% were due to outpatient coding errors. This is up 10% for the combined results from the third quarter 2014 survey.
 
However, for complex denials, 76% of hospitals nationally report incorrect MS-DRGs or other coding errors as the top reason for denials. Incorrect APCs or other outpatient coding and billing errors only lead to 4% of complex denials.
 
Nationwide, the average dollar amount of automated denials is up sharply from last year at this time, with hospitals reporting each at $ 1,056 in 2015, compared to $ 688 in 2014. The average dollar amount for complex denials has fallen from $ 5,618 in 2014 to $ 5,458 in the most recent survey.
 
The rate of hospitals with denials reversed during the discussion period has also fallen, from 52% in 2014 to 45% in 2015, along with the number of denials available for appeal, from 540,203 to 366,479 over the same time period. Claims overturned in favor of the provider after completing the claims process have also fallen from 70% last year to 62% in 2015.
 
For complete results of the survey, as well as an archive of previous surveys and the opportunity to sign up for future surveys, see the AHA’s RACTrac site.
 
Note: APCs Insider will not publish the weeks of December 25 and January 1 due to the holidays, so look for the next edition Friday, January 8. Thank you for being a loyal reader of APCs Insider and have a safe and happy holiday season!

HCPro.com – APCs Insider

Lead Charge & Coding Specialist in Minnesota

As the Lead Charge and Coding Specialist you will provide day-to-day supervision of a portion of Center for Diagnostic Imaging’s Charge and Coding Team in St Louis Park, MN, including workflow direction, training and education. You will also be responsible for applying the appropriate diagnostic and procedural codes to individual patient health information for data retrieval, analysis and claims processing. In this role you will be part of a team of a medical coders who code a variety of radiology related procedures – which includes MRI, CT, X-ray, Sonogram, Mammogram, Nuclear Medicine, PET/CT, pain injections, Lung Cancer screening, and Bone Mineral Density.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

pacemaker lead extraction and explantation of generator

Can anyone tell me if you can bill 33233 for removal of generator along with 33235? The generator and leads are removed without reinsertion. The guidelines state "When reporting the system insertion or replacement codes, removal of a pulse generator (33233 or 33241) may be reported separately, when performed". Am I correct that removal of transvenous electrode(s) (33234,33235 or 33244) includes explantation of the generator if it is not being replaced or upgraded?

Thank you

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Coding PM upgrade to ICD w/ LV lead

I need a 2nd opinion on how to code upgrading a pacemaker to ICD generator with an LV lead.

The physician billed for removal of the pacemaker generator, RV lead and LV lead insertion. The codes he selected are: 33233, 33216 and 33224. The codes I selected are: 33233 – PM generator removal, 33249 ICD implant, single or dual lead and 33225 – LV lead. The physician explained that he was taught to use 33233, 33216 & 33224. In what scenario is 33224 billed? I use Dr. Z’s Medical coding reference for cardiology but it does not give any information how to use this code.

Thank you for your help.

Dolores

Medical Billing and Coding Forum