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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Know What Separates FBR From E/M or Lose $80 in Pay

Published on Mon Apr 20, 2009

Here's why -incision- with non-scalpel instrument could be an FBR. If you cannot spot simple or complicated foreign body removal (FBR) qualifiers,you could end up costing the ED more than $80 for a simple removal, or more than double that per complex episode. Galvanize your soft-tissue FBR coding skills with this expert advice. Follow CPT for FBR Definition Coding for soft-tissue FBRs seems simple enough: A patient reports to the ED with an FB, the physician removes it, and you choose an FBR CPT code. Not so fast: The above scenario might be an FBR, but it might also be an E/M service. To report one of the soft-tissue FBR codes, the encounter should fit the following description, from Joshua Tepperberg, CPC, EMT-D: The provider makes an incision to the overlying skin, and then removes the FB. Wound closure is typically included in the FBR code, if necessary. -And the [...]
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