ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Question: A woman who fell on her unprotected side reports to the ED. The physician notes that the patient had "the beginnings of a contusion to her right abdominal wall upon reporting." During the examination, she reports shortness of breath, and says the pain is a 6 on a scale of 10. To rule out broken ribs, the physician orders a rib xray. The x-rays reveal no broken bones, so the physician orders the patient to rest a few days and prescribes painkillers. Final diagnosis is abdominal wall contusion, and notes indicate a level-three E/M in addition to the xray. What is the proper code for the x-ray?Kentucky SubscriberAnswer: It depends on the type of x-ray your physician performed. Go back and check the notes - or ask the physician who ordered the x-rays. There are four different CPT codes for rib x-rays:71100 (Radiologic examination, ribs, unilateral; 2 views)71101 (... [...]