Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Tip: Tympanic repair will call for separate procedure coding. Although you'll generally include tube removal as a part of any E/M office visit the physician provides on the same date of service, you should be on the lookout for circumstances that will allow you to report separate services. Keep reading for three instances in which tube removal demands coding above and beyond only an E/M service. Bundle Removal to E/M -- Usually In most cases, you should consider ear tube removal to be a component of any E/M service the ENT provides during the same visit. Assign E/M with caution: Remember, however, that an E/M service includes three key components: history, exam and medical-decision making. If the ENT merely removes the tubes (which can take only seconds) and medical necessity does not require a separate history and/or exam, documentation may not support even the lowest-level E/M service, says Barbara J. Cobuzzi, [...]