Internal Medicine Coding Alert
Medicare Says 11719 Is Routine
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Question: A Medicare patient presented with a painful ingrown toenail. The internist trimmed the nail. Which code should I use? Also, since the patient didn't have a systemic condition, will Medicare cover the procedure? Answer: When an internist trims an ingrown nail, you should report CPT 11719 (Trimming of nondystrophic nails, any number). If the physician didn't document systemic findings, such as diabetes (250.xx), Medicare will not reimburse this service. The government payer considers 11719 routine foot care. -- Answers for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions were provided by Kathy Pride, CPC, CCS-P, a coding consultant for QuadraMed in Port St. Lucie, Fla.; and Bruce Rappoport, MD, CPC, a board-certified internist who works with physicians on compliance, documentation, coding and quality issues for RCH Healthcare Advisors LLC, a Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based healthcare consulting company.
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