Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question:My provider is billing an EGD. He states in his op report he states that he obtained photo documentation. Can we bill for this procedure?New Jersey SubscriberAnswer:No. You just have to bill the appropriate EGD procedure, for instance 43235 (Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy including esophagus, stomach, and either the duodenum and/or jejunum as appropriate; diagnostic, with or without collection of specimen[s] by brushing or washing [separate procedure]). If your physician took any pictures, consider it just part of the diagnostic procedure.The same is true with many supplies and services considered integral to a surgical procedure:cleansing, shaving, and prepping of skindraping of patient, positioning of patientinsertion of intravenous access for medicationsedative administration by the physician performing the procedurelocal, topical or regional anesthetic administered by the physician performing the proceduresurgical approach, including identification of anatomical landmarks, incision, evaluation of the surgical field, lysis of simple adhesions, isolation of neurovascular, muscular (including stimulation for [...]