Margie Scalley Vaught, CPC, CPC-H, PCE, CCS-P, MCS-P, ACS-EM, ACS-OR
Don’t cut your reimbursement short for the new excision codes
You have 41 new soft tissue excision codes in CPT® 2010 that allow you to report lesion removal from the subcutaneous level all the way down to radical resection. While this allows you to code more specifically for different sizes and types of excisions, the new codes bring greater documentation challenges and pitfalls that can result in underpayment.
Coding expert Margie Scalley Vaught will teach you five key strategies to help you code excisions successfully so you capture full reimbursement
- Learn how to spot clues in the documentation that allow you to select the correct level – for example, whether the excision was subcutaneous or subfascial.
- Train your physicians to document accurate tissue measurement – if this info is missing, it could lead to a reduction in pay
- Determine whether the musculoskeletal soft tissue or integumentary excision codes apply to your procedure
- Find out what procedures are included in the excision surgical package and what may be billed separately – CPT®, Medicare and AAOS don’t always agree
- With radical resections, find out how to handle additional services such as neurolysis and reconstruction.
You’ll also get a look at payer policies and a first look at where your compliance risk areas may lie for excision procedures.
