ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

If you code 43760 for all tube replacements, you're playing with fire.A patient presents to the ED with a displaced or damaged percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube. The ED physician either replaces the tube or removes it entirely. The coder reports PEG tube procedure code for the service.Simple, right?Not so fast: You won't always code a PEG tube service with a procedure code. In some instances, you would report the procedure with the appropriate E/M code instead.Read on for advice on the ins and outs of coding tube insertions and removals.Opt for E/M On RemovalsPatients who have G tubes often receive medication, nutrition, liquid, etc., through the tube, confirms Eli Berg, MD, FACEP, CEO of Logix Health, an ED coding and billing company in Bedford, Mass. So if a PEG tube malfunctions, the patient will often end up as an ED presentation.You can use 43760 (Change of gastrostomy tube, percutaneous, [...]