Pediatric Coding Alert

Prep parents that you're providing a minor surgery typically well paid by insurers so clients aren't shocked by the high payments attached to foreign body removal codes.

You are potentially saving the patient and parent from the inconvenience and higher costs associated with a trip to the emergency department when you remove a foreign body in the office. Be sure to include follow-up care in the initial service when the code has a 10-day global period.

Here's a breakdown of how much FBR codes pay and how much post-op care they include using the 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule as a basis.