Pulmonology Coding Alert
Reader Questions:
Believe It or Not - You May Not Always Charge
Published on Fri Apr 01, 2005
Question: When a patient brings a CPAP computer card to the pulmonologist and the pulmonologist puts the card into his computer to get a print-out from the CPAP machine for interpretation, can we bill for this?
Massachusetts Subscriber
Answer: There is no separately reimbursable code for continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) readings. If your pulmonologist completes a CPAP interpretation the same day as an office visit, you should consider the interpretation as part of the office visit for that day.
More specifically, you should count the pulmonologist's interpretation as a factor in the amount and/or complexity of data ordered/reviewed for the medical decision-making aspect of the encounter.
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