ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: A patient comes to the ED with a displaced gastrostomy tube (G tube). The physician examined the G tube and placed a new tube through the established tract. During the encounter, the physician used radiologic guidance to confirm the tube placement. I cannot find a CPT code to represent this service. Should I just use 43760 on the claim?


Virginia Subscriber


Answer: You should use 43760 (Change of gastrostomy tube), along with another CPT code. When your physician re-inserts a G tube using radiologic guidance, CPT suggests using a separate code for the radiologic guidance.

On your claim, you should report 75984 (Change of percutaneous tube or drainage catheter with contrast monitoring [e.g., gastrointestinal system, genitourinary system, abscess], radiological supervision and interpretation) in addition to 43760.

Explanation: Adding this code allows you to represent the G tube replacement and the radiologic guidance.

Don't forget: Attach modifier 26 (Professional component) to 75984 to show that you are coding only for the professional component of 75984.

Reader Questions and You Be the Coder reviewed by Michael A. Granovsky, MD, CPC, FACEP, vice president of MRSI, an EDcoding and billing company in Woburn, Mass.