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PRP Injection w/tenotomy – code separately?

Good Morning,

Does anyone know if a PRP injection can be coded separately from a tenotomy? If so, do you have any sources on this? I found a CPT Assistant article from May of 2012 which states that PRP can be coded separately with a tibial fracture nonunion repair, however I also found article from AAOS Now (August 2010) that states that the code is "to be used only when PRP is performed in a complete separate patient encounter from a surgical procedure". Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thank you!!

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

PRP injection w/tenotomy – separately reportable?

Good Morning,

Does anyone know if a PRP injection can be coded separately from a tenotomy? If so, do you have any sources on this? I found a CPT Assistant article from May of 2012 which states that PRP can be coded separately with a tibial fracture nonunion repair, however I also found article from AAOS Now (August 2010) that states that the code is "to be used only when PRP is performed in a complete separate patient encounter from a surgical procedure". Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thank you!!

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Separately Report a “Separate Procedure” with Confidence

Call on AAPC Coder and NCCI code pair edits for support. Many procedures in the CPT® code book are designated “separate procedures,” but that doesn’t mean you can report those procedures separately in every case. First, you must consider other procedures performed during the same encounter. “Separate” Might Not Mean What You Think It Does […]

The post Separately Report a “Separate Procedure” with Confidence appeared first on AAPC Knowledge Center.

AAPC Knowledge Center

ASC billing separately 77003 with a TC modifier as a stand alone code???

I audit medical claims for a payer, and there is some confusion as to a imaging facility billing CPT code 77003 with a modifier TC. (ASC facility)
Initially, I denied the claim because it is billed with CPT code 72275 and according to AMA guidelines, 77003 is included. Then they submitted a corrected claim, with only 77003-TC. I denied it again, because that is an add-on code that cannot be billed alone. (This is the original reason why they billed it with 72275 even though I was told they did not perform that service.)
The billing facility is telling me that they are only providing the fluoroscopy, and this is the reason they are billing.
I was looking at CPT code 76000 but it is driven more towards a diagnostic imaging service.

Any insight?

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

E/M Generally Isn’t Separately Reported with Wound Care

Generally, wound care involves assessment and management of the wound, cleansing of the wound, simple debridement, and removal and reapplication of the wound dressings. In most cases, it is inappropriate to report an E/M service in addition to a wound care service (e.g., debridement, application of an Unna’s boot, etc.); however, if during the wound […]
AAPC Knowledge Center

Can you bill a 64702 separately of 26356?

Hello,

Question has come up with several of us differing in opinions. Would like to throw this out to see what others are doing.

27-year-old patient sustained a traumatic laceration to the ulnar aspect of right hand while prepare a frozen chicken.

His traumatic laceration measured 4.5 cm and was transverse in orientation. Hematoma was evacuated. The wound was copiously irrigated. I first began by identifying the ulnar neurovascular bundle. The ulnar digital nerve was actually intact, spanning across the wound. The ulnar digital artery had been lacerated. Both the proximal and distal aspects were identified. I elected not to repair this due to the fact that his finger remained perfused. I did perform a neurolysis of the ulnar digital nerve at this time, freeing it from fascia proximally and distally so that the ulnar digital nerve was free and easily retracted from the flexor tendons. I then visualized the radial neurovascular bundle. A limited neurolysis was performed at this level, verifying that the nerve remained intact, as well as the artery. At this point, I directed my attention to the flexor tendons. There was a transverse laceration to the flexor tendon sheath between the A1 and A2 pulleys. The pulleys were left intact, with the exception that I did release a portion of the distal aspect of the A1 pulley. Hematoma was evacuated from within the flexor tendon sheath. The proximal aspect of the tendons was easily retrieved using a hemostat. 3-0 Prolene suture was then placed at the distal edge of the tendons to mobilize them. Additionally, a hypodermic needle was placed through the A1 pulley to pierce the tendons to remain them out to length. With hyperflexion of the small finger, I was able to deliver the distal aspects of the tendon through our wound. The FDP tendon escape from distal to the A2 pulley, though this was retrieved easily with the 3-0 Prolene suture and delivered beneath the A2 pulley. The FDS tendon was then placed superficial to the A1 pulley to increase the space for the FDP. I first began by repairing the radial slip of the FDS tendon. This was repaired using 4-0 Ethibond suture in a figure-of-eight fashion. Two separate figure-of-eight sutures were placed with an excellent repair. I then began by repairing the FDP tendon. I first placed a 6-0 Prolene epitendinous suture on the dorsal surface of the tendon. A 4-strand cruciate repair was then replaced as a core stitch using 4-0 Ethibond suture. I then completed the epitendinous repair for a complete 360-degree epitendinous repair. It was a very neat repair site without bunching. As it was a sharp laceration, we had excellent tendon apposition and essentially no bunching. As the repair was performed at the proximal aspect of the A2 pulley, I elected to excise the ulnar slip of the FDS so that there was adequate space beneath the pulley for the FDP tendon to glide easily through. The ulnar slip was then excised. I did leave the proximal aspect of the FDS superficial to the A1 pulley, while leaving the FDP tendon deep to it. This was also done to decrease the gliding resistance for the FDP tendon. The wound was copiously irrigated at this point. The finger had a normal resting cascade. I was able to fully extend the finger without triggering or bunching of the FDP repair. The wound was irrigated once again. The incision was then closed with 4-0 Prolene suture. 4.5 cm of traumatic laceration were repaired, as were the surgical extensions.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Cesarean Section with TAP Block later in the Day Separately Billable?

Hello, if a patient has a c-section (CPT 01961 anesthesia charge), and the anesthesiolgoist visits the patient later in the day and does a TAP block CPT 64488 due to much postop abdominal pain on PCA morphine so patient concents to TAP block.

Is the TAP Block CPT 64448 separately billable in this case with modifier 59? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you!

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Do we need to code venogram separately?

ULTRASOUND GUIDANCE FOR VENOUS ACCESS

SUPERIOR VENA CAVAGRAM

TUNNELLED CVC INSERTION

DESCRIPTION OF PROCEDURE:

Realtime ultrasonography of the right neck was performend demonstrating
patency of the internal jugular vein which was then chosen for access;
ultrasound images were archived.

A large area of the right neck and upper chest was prepped and draped in
sterile fashion.

Using 1% lidocaine for local anesthesia and under real-time ultrasonic
guidance, a 21ga. micropuncture set was used to access the right internal
jugular vein at the base of the neck. Ultrasound images were archived.

A small incision was made at the puncture site. The wire could not be
advanced much into the vessel and for this reason a 4 French catheter was
advanced over the wire. Contrast material was injected and digital
angiograms were obtained demonstrating occlusion of the superior vena cava
just beyond the confluence of the azygos vein. Flow in the azygos vein is
retrograde.

Over a wire, the tract was dilated and an introducer sheath was advanced into
the vein.

A tract of subcutaneous tissue, leading from the incision at the puncture
site to the anterior right chest below the clavicle, was then infiltrated
with local anesthetic. A small incision was made at the chest end of the
tract. A flexible tunneler was then used to pull an 8 cm long dual-lumen
catheter through the subcutaneous tunnel. The tunneler was disconnected and
the catheter was then advanced through the sheath until its tip reached the
central portion of the patent superior vena cava ; as mentioned above the
catheter could not advance be advanced into the right atrium since the cava
is occluded more centrally.

Fluoroscopy of the air at demonstrated a kink in the catheter as it entered
the internal jugular vein. We were unable to resolve the kink and for this
reason the catheter had to be removed and the procedure restarted after re-
prepping and draping of the area.

Using sterile technique under real-time ultrasonic guidance a 21 gauge needle
was placed in the right internal jugular vein. An introducer sheath was
advanced into the vein.

A 6 French dual-lumen central venous catheter was then advanced through the
subcutaneous tunnel and into the internal jugular vein until its tip reached
the central portion of the patent superior vena cava. This time no kinks
were identified along the course of the catheter.

Both ports were capped and heparinized and the catheter was then secured to
the skin with 2-0 nylon sutures. The incision at the base of the neck was
closed with tissue glue and SteriStrips.

There were no complications.

CAN ANYBODY SUGGEST CORRECT CODING FOR THIS?

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

2 providers documenting in same EMR note and billing for services separately

Just looking for more info on this. I work in dermatology and we currently have an MD who wants to perform the E/M service and have the NP come in and perform the biopsy. Our EMR only allows sign off by one provider per note unless an addendum is done indicating another sign off, which I do not find to be very good documentation, as every chart note will need an addendum for the NP to indicate she performed the biopsy only and wants those charges to be under her. Has anyone else experienced this and how did they document in the same note and bill for these services under separate providers? I feel as though they should each document their own notes separately, but they do not want to do it that way.

Medical Billing and Coding Forum

Hi! I have a question about when to separately report a test during E/M

Hello fellow coders,

I am currently a CPC-A and working on Practicode. When billing an E/M code along with EKG report, I get confused sometimes when reading through the clinical record. I don’t always know when I should separately report say, code 93010 for an EKG, just as an example. I am wondering what keys words will help me decide when to separately report this. For example, in the record, if the doctor writes: "Results [of the test] were independently viewed by me and interpreted by the radiologist and contemporaneously by me." Is it the use of the word "independently" or "contemporaneously" or something else I should be looking at that hints at a test being separately reportable?

Thank you for any assistance!

Ryan

Medical Billing and Coding Forum | AAPC