Pediatric Coding Alert

File a well-written appeal to collect your due. Even if you follow our advice to the tee, you might still face challenges collecting from your payers when you perform other services with a preventive medicine visit. But before you give up on getting paid, try these three tactics. 1. Appeal With CPT® Guidelines Take advantage of your CPT® manual if you appeal other procedures, such as screenings, with preventive medicine service bundles. CPT® considers screenings distinct and does not include them as part of a preventive medicine service. The supporting language is in the CPT® Preventive Medicine Guidelines. Good idea: Indicate that you are attaching supporting documentation showing CPT's non-inclusion of screenings with preventive medicine codes. Include a copy of CPT's preventive medicine services introductory notes with your appeal letter. Highlight the final paragraph, which states, "Immunizations and ancillary services involving laboratory, radiology, other procedures or screening tests identified with [...]