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Primary Care Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Glass Removal

Published on Fri Feb 01, 2002

Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
Question: Should I bill 20520 if a patient had glass removed from her scalp?

Missouri Subscriber

Answer: No, 20520 (removal of foreign body in muscle or tendon sheath; simple) is not appropriate here because it refers to a muscle or tendon. The correct code in this case is 10120* (incision and removal of foreign body, subcutaneous tissues; simple). This code includes any suturing involved as well. Use 10121 ( complicated) for a more complex removal requiring dissection of underlying tissue.
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