Orthopedic Coding Alert
Target Symptoms to Assign Dx Code
Question: Missouri Subscriber Answer: To report this condition, rely on the patient's signs and/or symptoms. For example, if the subluxation causes ulnar nerve inflammation, report 729.2 (Neuralgia, neuritis, and radiculitis, unspecified). If the nerve isn't inflamed, but the patient has pain, you may need to use 354.2 (Mononeuritis of upper limb and mononeuritis multiplex; lesion of ulnar nerve).
Orthopedic Coding Alert
- Shoulders:
Get on the Fast Track to Shoulder Claim Success By Tackling These 3 Scenarios
Bonus: Learn when your physician's requests will throw your coding out of joint. To properly [...] - Anatomy:
Shoulder Anatomy Can Be Your Key to Quick Code Selection
Learn what's where to make your coding easier.Because the shoulder is highly mobile, it is [...] - Auditing:
Check Your HPI, Risk IQ With Pre-op Exam Case Study
Hint: Your orthopedist's recs are the ones to count under mgt options.When a patient needs [...] - You Be the Coder:
Check Your Modifiers for Shoulder Scopes
Question: An orthopedist in my practice arthroscopically repaired a rotator cuff on the left shoulder, [...] - Auditing:
MDM : Weigh Surgical Risk to Snag the Correct E/M Level
These definitions take the mystery out of moderate vs high surgical management options.If you audit [...] - Reader Questions:
'Joint Fracture' Is a Misnomer
Question: Which diagnosis code should I use for an SI joint fracture?Ohio SubscriberAnswer: When looking [...] - Reader Questions:
Stick With 29866 for OATS
Question: What code would I use for a knee arthroscopy with OATS procedure? In the [...] - Reader Questions:
'With or Without' Includes With
Question: What exactly does "with or without internal or external fixation" mean when a CPT [...] - Reader Questions:
Coding for PCL Debridement
Question: If the orthopedist debrides a ganglion cyst of the posterior cruciate ligament, should I [...] - Reader Questions:
Consider 20245 for Femur Biopsy
Question: Our surgeon performed a femur biopsy, and the pathology report came back as "metastatic poorly [...] - Reader Questions:
Target Symptoms to Assign Dx Code
Question: Which diagnosis code should I use when my orthopedist's documentation indicates the patient has [...] - Reader Questions:
Time Is the Key for FCEs
Question: Our physician is performing functional capacity evaluations (FCEs) in the office. Which code should [...] - Reader Questions:
Avoid Automatic Resends
Question: When we know that the carrier has made a mistake in denying a claim, [...] - Reader Questions:
Multiple X-Ray Views
Question: We performed x-rays in the office for a patient with a wrist injury. We [...]
