Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

Don't miss the one question you must ask your payer. The descriptor for 77300 says it's appropriate for a required calculation prescribed by the treating physician -- but after a few denials, you might start thinking that payers have their own definition of "required." Here's a rundown of the service -- and the trouble you might run into when reporting multiple units. Start With Dosimetry Basics What it is: Before coding for dosimetry, you need to know exactly what the service entails. According to AMA's CPT Assistant (October 1997), "Dosimetry requires the physician to select from the available inventory of photon or electron beams and that the proper energy and modality is used for each of the simulated treatment portals. There are four parts to dosimetry: 1) basic time dose relationships, 2) isodosimetry, 3) beam shaping and organ protection, and 4) special physics services." The calculation of the dose within the [...]