Don’t Use 2 CPT® Codes When 1 Will Do
Question: I have an op note in which the orthopedic surgeon documented fusing the first tarsometatarsal joint together, removing the medial eminence, and performing an Akin osteotomy on the first proximal phalanx. We reported 28740 and 28298, but the claim was denied. What codes should we report instead? Minnesota Subscriber Answer: Correcting your claim is as simple as making a two-for-one swap. Assign 28297 (Correction, hallux valgus with bunionectomy, with sesamoidectomy when performed; with first metatarsal and medial cuneiform joint arthrodesis, any method) to report the surgeon’s procedures. Using 28740 (Arthrodesis, midtarsal or tarsometatarsal, single joint) for the tarsometatarsal fusion of a single joint and 28298 (Correction, hallux valgus with bunionectomy, with sesamoidectomy when performed; with proximal phalanx osteotomy, any method) for the Akin osteotomy with medial eminence removal is an understandable option, but ultimately incorrect since a single code exists that covers all three portions of the procedure. Mike Shaughnessy, BA, CPC, Development Editor, AAPC
