If a patient comes in for surveillance cystoscopy because of a history of bladder cancer and they find diverticulum, bladder trabeculations or even BPH do you code the Z85.51 as the principal dx code or do you use the other codes first?
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Tag Archives: Surveillance
Adding Screens to surveillance exams?
Several patients have contacted our office after being told by their insurance that we should be adding a screening code of Z12.11 for full payment of a SURVEILLANCE exam for personal hx of polyps (Z86.010). This is clearly not a screening. We have been informed that a very large practice has been billing with the screening code in the primary position resulting in full payment and no transfers to patients’ deductibles/co-insurances. We have always believed that we only code for the indication, as screens are only performed every 10 years and surveillance exams are more often based on doctor recommendation. Does anyone else charge for both screening(Z12.11) and hx of polyps(Z86.010) together? Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks!!!!
Post Op Malignant lesion f/u surveillance Box A MDM
3 bcc a are destructed. Patient comes in for follow up surveillance of skin cancer return. There is no recurrence. Would this count as 3 established or improved on number of diagnoses treated?
Help billing for wax surveillance when there is no wax
Hello All!
Im in search of feedback on how to code a particular visit. A patient has no voiced pain issues just states that there is a lot of wax in ears and they have to wipe their ears out. A Provider examines the patients ears and documents that both ears are free of cerumen. The codes provided for billing are 99212 with Dx code Z01.10 (encounter exam of ears and hearing w/o abnormalities). Medicare denied this claim as non covered when considered routine. I am aware that Z01.10 would usually be billed with routine and well visits ;so how should this visit be coded? Does the procedure code need to be changed? Would we not be able to bill for this service?
Thank you all for your answers and feedback!!!
Surveillance colonoscopy
Need some help please. We had a patient boarded for a colonoscopy/ hx of polyps in 2013, tubular adenoma. Patient had procedure and nothing was found. The patient has United Healthcare and their policy states once a patient has a polyp after a screening all future colonoscopies are considered diagnostic because the time frame between future colonoscopies would be shortened. We billed for a screening colon that they found a polyp in 2013. The patient has no other issues only that she had a polyp in 2013. Do we bill this procedure using G0105 or do we bill 45378 with dx Z86.010. Also, surveillance colonoscopies could be billed as a screening?
Initial or Surveillance for birth control pill change
A 17 year old patient was prescribed birth control pills for the first time and the diagnosis code used was Z30.011, encounter for initial prescription of contraceptive pills. The patient experienced side effects so a new prescription for a different pill was prescribed at her 3 month follow up. Is Z30.011 appropriate since it is a new prescription and pill type or would Z30.41, encounter for surveillance of contraceptive pills be correct?
After the initial prescription is written, is it ever appropriate to use Z30.011 again (e.g. whether repeat prescription or new pill type prescription at the ensuing annual visits)?
Thanks!