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Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Stem Cell Codes Will Rock Your World
Turn to the bone marrow section of your 2003 CPT book and you'll think Santa Claus c... Read more
Now Cut That Out
Attention, surgical oncology coders: Get out your scissors, glue and rulers, because... Read more
Take These Bone Marrow Biopsy Codes and Stick Em
Let's get right to the "core" issue here. Can you get paid for 38220 (Bone marrow aspi... Read more
A Light Shines on NPPs
Incident-to billing may very well be your oncology practice's reimbursement nigh... Read more
Correction
A reader question in the November 2002 edition of Oncology Coding Alert titled "Pre-Me... Read more
Reader Questions:
Port-a-Cath Access
Question: We recently started billing for a hematology/oncology group and received our... Read more
Reader Questions:
E/M Codes With Treatment Planning
Question: We are getting denials for the E/M procedure when done on the same day as ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Topotecan Twosomes
Question: One of our patients is receiving Topotecan (J9350), 1.8 mg per day for five ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
MUGAs
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before l... Read more
Take the Sting Out of Intrathecal Therapy
Implantation and removal of intrathecal pumps for trials and delivery of pain medica... Read more
Intrathecal Chemo Is a Best Bet in Some Cases
Normally, intrathecal pumps are delivery systems for pain management, but under some... Read more
New IMRT Codes Deliver Targeted Reimbursement
With a little help from savvy coders, oncology centers will be able to justify th... Read more
New Ovarian Surgery Codes
When CPT added surgical codes to permit gyn oncologists to report two common... Read more
Codes Youll Use in the IMRT World
Scenario: A patient with nasopharyngeal cancer is treated with IMRT to protect the par... Read more
Reader Question:
IVIg
Question: I'm getting familiar with the new CMS ruling on intravenous immune glo... Read more
Reader Question:
Teaching Chemo
Question: Is the amount of time involved in teaching patients about chemotherapy par... Read more
Reader Question:
Cancer Patient Admitted to ED
Question: Our patient is admitted through the ER by an ER physician who is not part of... Read more
Reader Question:
Pre-Meds
Question: Are people billing for pre-meds using the non-chemotherapy administration ... Read more
You Be The Coder:
Private Practice on Hospital Premises
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
Pump Up Your Billing Reimbursement for Chemo Delivery
The billing rules for chemotherapy delivery systems can seem like so much tangled ... Read more
NHL Radio-Immunotherapy Requires Teamwork
Oncology and radiology teams can now offer people with low-grade, follicular o... Read more
CMS Rule Clears Way for Prothrombin Payment
If confusion over laboratory codes is slowing your reimbursement stream, it's time t... Read more
Dont Accept Frequency Limits
Medicare carriers can no longer deny claims based on frequency limits unless they publis... Read more
Reader Questions:
Anzemet and Oral Anti-Emetics
Question: How should I code for the PO administration of dolasetron (Anzemet)? Vi... Read more
Reader Questions:
Infusion of Cisplatin
Question: We had a patient who received cisplatin in the office and then was sent ho... Read more
Reader Questions:
Brachytherapy Billing
Question: Can I bill 77790 with 77778? If the answer is yes, would you explain why? ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Fludara Excess
Question: I have a question regarding the administration of Fludara 50 mg (J9185).... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Chem 18 Panel
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before... Read more
Coding All the Steps in Stem Cell Treatment Is No Peripheral Task
To ensure complete reimbursement for stem cell treatments, oncology coders should fa... Read more
The Mother of All Cells
Stem cells are "parent blood cells" found in a large concentration in the bone marro... Read more
10 Easy Dos and Donts of CPO Billing
The effort that goes into Care Plan Oversight might seem mountainous, but it's w... Read more
Look Out for Proper Coding of Sentinel Node Biopsies
To capture appropriate reimbursement for a sentinel lymph node biopsy,... Read more
Clarification
An article in the July 2002 edition of Oncology Coding Alert titled "Secrets to Speed Ne... Read more
Reader Question:
Chemo Supplies
Question: For chemo administration codes 96410 (Chemotherapy administration, intra... Read more
Reader Question:
Nutrition Therapy
Question: We are an office-based single-specialty group. I saw a code in the CPT... Read more
Reader Question:
Blood Specimens From Devices
Question: I know that when I bill Medicare, certain CPT codes should be submitted as... Read more
Reader Question:
Maintenance Therapy Billing
Question: What code should I use to bill for patients who present to the clinic sett... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Ommaya Reservoir
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Secrets to Speed New Drug Reimbursement
When it comes to new oncology drugs, providers may have to educate their payers in o... Read more
Clarification of Heparin and Saline Usage
An article titled "Payment Techniques for Heparin, Saline and Supplies" in the June ed... Read more
Incident-Toand NPP Billing
Most oncology practices can bill many more nonphysician practitioner services than the... Read more
Self-Administered Drugs Excluded From Coverage
In a recent program memorandum, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services clari... Read more
Modifiers Make More Attending Physician Services Billable
Cancer patients now have considerable leeway in shaping their end-of-life care, while ... Read more
Quick Clinic:
How to Handle -Q5 Reciprocal Billing
Consistent patient care sometimes requires physician hand-offs, but the round-robin ... Read more
Reader Question:
Q0084 or Q0085?
Question: We are a hospital-based oncology clinic, and the hospital wants us to bill a... Read more
Reader Question:
Blood Draw From AV Fistula
Question: What is the appropriate code for a blood draw when drawing from an AV fistul... Read more
Reader Question:
E/M Visit
Question: Is it correct to bill an E/M visit for a family meeting despite the abs... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Hysterectomy and Follow-Up Observation
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Take Advantage of Changes in Prostate Screening Regulations
With the so-called "graying of America," providers are reporting more prostate studies... Read more
Seven Steps Ease Brachytherapy Coding
Because clinical brachytherapy often offers significant advantages over radiatio... Read more
Internal Placement of Radioactive Elements Demands Complexity
Brachytherapy is a highly complex procedure which translates into highly complex codin... Read more
Reader Question:
HCPCS Q Codes
Question: We are a hospital-based oncology clinic, and the hospital wants us to bill a... Read more
Reader Question:
E/M Visit
Question: Is it correct to bill an E/M visit for a family meeting despite the absence ... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing Chemo MixingCode
Question: The senior oncologist in our practice has instructed us to use 96545 to refl... Read more
Reader Question:
Incomplete Procedure
Question: One of our Medicare patients who is extremely overweight recently came in ... Read more
Reader Question:
Consult or New Patient?
Question: Should I bill a patient's first office visit with an oncologist as a consu... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Chemo Following Hysterectomy
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
Get Paid What You Deserve:
Dont Confuse Screenings With Diagnostic Mammograms
Recently, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson reaffirmed the i... Read more
News Brief:
CMS Expands Coverage for PET to Include Breast Cancer
CMS has announced a national coverage determination (NCD) that will provide coverage f... Read more
Increase Revenue:
Payment Techniques for Heparin,Saline and Supplies
Medicare and private insurers consider most supply costs associated with chemotherapy ... Read more
Reader Question:
Modifier -24
Question: A gynecologic oncologist who also performs chemotherapy administration sees ... Read more
Reader Question:
Brachytherapy Billing
Question: Which codes are billed with remote afterloading high-intensity brachythera... Read more
Reader Question:
Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration
Question: Oncologists on our medical staff believe they can bill the following procedu... Read more
Reader Question:
Inpatient Hospice
Question: A physician discharges a patient from the hospital and admits her to the hos... Read more
Reader Question:
Radiation Treatment Management
Question: Our office is receiving denials for 77427 because we did not specify a date ... Read more
Reader Question:
Physicist Services
Question: All dosimetry/physics are performed by a dosimetrist/physicist employed by o... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Office Consultations
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
Colon Cancer:
Differentiate Chemotherapy from Non-Chemotherapy Drugs for Proper Payment
The combination of 5-FU (J9190) and leucovorin (J0640) has become a common therapy f... Read more
Conflict of Opinion:
99211 and Chemo Administration:Separate Services?
In the second-quarter issue of Florida Medicare B Update, which came out in February 2... Read more
Careful Documentation Leads to Pay Up for Stopped Procedure
Chemotherapy sometimes has to be stopped such as when a patient has an adverse reactio... Read more
Reader Question:
Blood Transfusions
Question: We are a community cancer center that houses two physician practices and bil... Read more
Reader Question:
Inpatient Chemotherapy
Question: Our hospital-based cancer program doesn't document the time for our chem... Read more
Reader Question:
Care Plan Oversight
Question: Our physicians are beginning to bill Medicare for care plan oversight (CPO).... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Allergy Injections
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
Show Proof to Get Endoscopies Paid Separately from E/M Visits
Oncology and radiation oncology practices can gain additional deserved reimbursement... Read more
V Codes as Primary Dx Should Be Avoided in Most Cases
It seems that the "V" in V code stands for "very confusing." Used as supplemental code... Read more
Billing Multiple Agents for Distinct Routes
When a chemotherapy regimen is prescribed, it may require that multiple agents be give... Read more
Reader Question:
Staged Procedure in Observation
Question: Two to three weeks after a hysterectomy, a patient begins chemotherapy. The on... Read more
Reader Question:
Treating versus Substitute Physician
Question: We now report the provider number of the physician who makes rounds and do... Read more
Reader Question:
3-D CT Simulation
Question: Can I charge for 76370 if the CT scan is ultimately used for a 3-D simulation ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Bone Marrow Biopsy and Aspiration
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Increase in Dosimetry Calculations Requires Differentiating between Basic and Special
The emergence of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has resulted in the need... Read more
Let Services Dictate How to Code Second Opinions
If a patient who has recently been diagnosed with cancer presents for a second opinion, ho... Read more
Examine Extra Time Spent to Prove Prolonged Service
When an oncology-related visit takes longer than normal, the add-on, prolonged office vi... Read more
Reader Question:
NPs Provider Number
Question: We use a hospital-based nurse practitioner (NP). She operates under the dire... Read more
Reader Question:
Oxygen Administration
Question: How should I bill for administering oxygen in the office setting? We had a patie... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing for Scans
Question: How should we bill for thallium and multiple-gated acquisition (MUGA) scans?&nbs... Read more
Reader Question:
Prostate Exams
Question: What are the codes for PSA and DRE?        &n... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Two Codes, One Day
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before loo... Read more
Intermediate and Complex Simulation Codes Are Better Suited for Todays Technology
Practices that routinely bill for simple simulations (77280) may be undercoding, leadi... Read more
Use Modifier -59 Sparingly Others May Be More Appropriate
Modifier -59 (distinct procedural service) is sometimes referred to as "the modifier o... Read more
News Brief:
New Chemo Drug Is Not Reimbursable, but Others Are
A study released in December 2001 suggests that a new class of breast cancer drug works ... Read more
New Codes Top Changes to Latest CCI Revisions
New oncology-related codes for 2002 top the list of significant changes in the Correct Cod... Read more
Reader Question:
Third-Party Payers
Question: I use 99211 when patients are scheduled for chemotherapy, when no doctor visit i... Read more
Reader Question:
Lymph Node Coding
Question: Is it appropriate to use 202.10 for mycosis fungoides, plaque stage when there i... Read more
Reader Question:
J Codes
Question: What is the difference between 0.9 percent sodium chloride 20-ml vial, 250-ml ba... Read more
Reader Question:
Chart Review
Question: Should we bill 77336 each time our physicist checks the patient record? What abo... Read more
Reader Question:
Discussing Treatment Options
Question: A patient presents for a consultation, and Medicare is billed 99245. The patient... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Nurse-Only Visit
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before loo... Read more
Coding for Fractions:
Radiation Treatment Versus Radiation Therapy
When billing for treatment management in radiation oncology, practices should report 7... Read more
Scoring Systems Take the Guesswork out of E/M Coding
Determining the correct level of E/M services may sometimes resemble throwing darts at... Read more
Anthrax Coding Report Free on Web
Physicians and other healthcare professionals who provide services to any patients with ac... Read more
Reader Question:
Nutritionist Services
Question: We often use a nutritionist to advise patients on their diet. She is employed ... Read more
Reader Question:
Coding Pap Smears
Question: We obtain pap smears in our office and they are sent to a reference lab for re... Read more
Reader Question:
Outpatient Observation
Question: An oncologist in our practice admitted a patient for observation. He was told ... Read more
Reader Question:
Blood Draw
Question: How should I code a blood draw from an implanted catheter or Hickman catheter ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Billing for Application of Headframe
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before l... Read more
Available Years:  2002  2001  2000  1999