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Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Good News:

Thanks to the AAO-HNS, You Can Receive Bilateral 62900 Reimbursement

Published on Thu Aug 27, 2009

You will benefit from at least $50 more for each bilateral auditory canal FBR claim. Search back through your external auditory canal foreign body removal (FBR) claims, because you may be able to appeal any denials you received since Jan. 1. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) overturned an edit that prevented bilateral payment for 69200 (Removal foreign body from external auditory canal; without general anesthesia). Up until Oct. 1, CMS designated that the 150-percent bilateral payment adjustment did not apply, but no more. "Wow, that's great! Good work, AAO," cheers Karla M. Westerfield, COPM, business manager for Southeast Wyoming Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic PC in Cheyenne. Make Sense of This Change Coders maintain this change follows common sense. "Payers should reimburse physicians additional money when performing the procedure on both ears rather than just one," says Candice Ruffing, CPC, CENTC, surgical coding specialist for a [...]
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