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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Reader Question:

Ankle Strapping

Published on Sun Jul 01, 2001

Question: Can wrapping a sprained ankle with an ACE bandage be coded and billed as an ankle strapping, 29540? If it is not strapping, what is it? The service is obviously not casting or splinting.

Arkansas Subscriber  
Answer: The strapping procedure immobilizes a joint with tape and other materials, but not plaster or other casting material used for more rigid immobilization. ACE bandages alone do not immobilize a joint. Typically, the use of an ACE bandage is billed using the appropriate E/M service code (99281-99285). A common case of strapping involves using a shoulder sling and swath to immobilize a shoulder joint. This treatment is a spontaneous dislocation/relocation of a shoulder. The key to strapping is immobilizing a joint. Documentation should address immobilization as the objective in protecting the joint.  
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