Reader Questions:
Tackle the Modified Radical Neck Dissection With 60240
Published on Sat Nov 20, 2010
Question: The physician did a total thyroidectomy and a "modified" radical neck dissection. Should I bill this as 60252? Answer: No. You would not report 60252 (Thyroidectomy, total or subtotal for malignancy, with limited neck dissection) because it does not accurately describe the physician's service. Code this encounter with 60240 (Thyroidectomy, total or complete) and 38724 (Cervical lymphadenectomy: modified radical neck dissection). The Correct Coding Inititative (CCI) does not bundle 60240 with 38724; so you won't have any problem billing them together. Important: If the modified neck dissection was done bilaterally, make sure you put modifier 50 (Bilateral procedure) on 38724.
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