ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
Document Results When Filing Portable
Question: Our ED physician has begun using a portable echocardiograph machine. How should we report claims when he uses this equipment? Answer: You should report a complete echocardiogram with 93307 (Echocardiography, transthoracic, real-time with image documentation [2D] with or without M-mode recording; complete) and a limited echocardiogram with 93308 (... follow-up or limited study). The ED physician usually provides a limited study.
California Subscriber
If the physician is using the hospital's portable echocardiograph machine, append modifier -26 (Professional component) to show that you aren't trying to bill for the technical component.
Remember: The physician should document the echocardiograph results and make them available for review on the claim.
You should not bill when the physician views the results or images on a screen, however. Carriers don't consider this a payable service because image documentation is required. Because many portable echocardiograph machines cannot print images, you may need additional software to do so.
ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert
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