ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Measuring total removal lengths is a no-no ... here's why. Your ED physician removes a pair of benign lesions from the patient's left thigh; you add the repair lengths and code based on those numbers. You've coded correctly ... right? Wrong: Many coders get tripped up by lesion removal codes, which are governed by different rules than lesion excision codes. Get the real lowdown on coding multiple lesion excisions right here, and you'll get it right every time. CPT, Experts Agree: Don't Add Lengths When your physician removes multiple lesions, "code for each individual lesion; this is not like laceration repairs, where you combine the length of all of the same body area/complexity wounds," explains Sharon Richardson, RN, compliance officer at Emergency Groups' Office in Arcadia, Calif. "Report separately each benign [or malignant] lesion excised," reads the CPT 2010 guidelines preceding each lesion excision section: Depending on the nature and [...]