General Surgery Coding Alert
Identifying Base Codes Doesn't Have to Be Tedious
Use this handy chart to quickly find the codes you need. Knowing how to apply the multiple endoscopy rule is only half the battle when you-re reporting your general surgeon's scope procedures. You also need to know which codes to apply the rule to. Good news: There's a fast and easy way to determine if a code is a base code: Consult the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS), says Jill Young, CPC, CEDC, CIMC, of Young Medical Consulting in East Lansing, Mich. You can download the PFS for free from the CMS Web site at www.cms.hhs.gov/PhysicianFeeSched. Be sure to download the "PFS relative value files" version. Then select "2009" to download the fee schedule. How it works: To identify an endoscopic base code, look to column AD (labeled "Endo Base") of the Excel spreadsheet you download. Column AD shows you the endoscopic base code for the code that appears in column A. Important: If there is no code in column AD, the code in column A is the base code or is not an endoscopic procedure code at all. Take a look at the chart below to review the endoscopic code families you-re most likely to deal with in general surgery. 
General Surgery Coding Alert
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Gastric Band Adjustments
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Check Documentation For Malfunction Specifics
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Let Anatomy Guide Your FBR Coding
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Base Total RVU Calculations on 3 Details
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