Advanced Search

Primary Care Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Coders Disagree on Foot FBR Specifics

Published on Tue May 26, 2009

Question: A 43-year-old established patient meets the FP at the hospital with an injured foot; he had been repairing a shed in his bare feet, and stepped on a carpentry nail with his left foot. The FP removes the subcutaneous foreign body from the patients left heel, but she does not make an incision. Is this considered a foreign body removal (FBR)? Florida Subscriber Answer: It depends on who you ask. According to Cheryl Starner, CPC, revenue integrity analyst for Missouris Truman Medical Centers, you can report 28190 (Removal of foreign body, foot; subcutaneous). Reasoning: The 28190 code makes no mention of an incision. This code descriptor differs from CPT definitions for soft-tissue FBRs (10120-10121, Incision and removal of foreign body, subcutaneous tissues &), which specifically mention incision. There are also coders, however, who feel FBRs without incisions are not FBRs at all, but E/M services. Reasoning: Even though the [...]
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

Primary Care Coding Alert

View All