Advanced Search

Pediatric Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Check Hand or Foot Before Coding FBR

Published on Tue Jul 01, 2008

Question: Using a needle to make an incision, a pediatrician removed a wood splinter from a patient's right foot. The insurer rejected 10120 as mismatching the diagnosis. Should I appeal the denial?North Dakota SubscriberAnswer: Before sending in a claim for foreign body removal (FBR), make sure you have assigned the most specific code for the anatomical area treated. For a foot FBR, CPT contains a specific code (28190, Removal of foreign body, foot; subcutaneous).If the pediatrician had instead removed the splinter from the patient's hand, you would use the general FBR code 10120 (Incision and removal of foreign body, subcutaneous tissues; simple).
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in your eNewsletter
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs*
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more
*CEUs available with select eNewsletters.

Other Articles in this issue of

Pediatric Coding Alert

View All