Pain Management Coding Alert
Spinal RF Ablation Coding
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Question: An established patient reports to the PM specialist for scheduled spinal radiofrequency (RF) ablation. How should I code this encounter? Massachusetts Subscriber Answer: You'll need some more information, from either the encounter notes or the providing PM specialist, before making your decision. You have four codes to choose from when coding spinal RF ablation, based on the spinal area and number of joints treated in that spinal area: Best bet: Check the encounter notes and ask the providing specialist for the exact locations of each spinal RF ablation you code.
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