Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: I noticed that CPT 2010 includes new spirometry codes. We're a general pulmonary practice. Should I add those codes to my superbill? Florida Subscriber Answer: No, codes 94011-94013 are for infant pulmonary function testing (PFT). "There are only about 30 pediatric pulmonologists who could do that testing until technology changes," said Scott Manaker, MD, PhD, who is the American College of Chest Physicians (AACP/ATS) representative to the Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) in the "Pulmonary Medicine" session at the AMA CPT and RBRVS Annual Symposium in Chicago. "A pediatric pulmonologist usually performs the test, but a general pediatrician or another pediatric pulmonologist often orders the test." The tests are done only in children up to age 2. Before this age, the patient can't cooperate with standard spirometry, so pediatric pulmonologists needed specific codes for these tests, Manaker explained. The first two codes in the set (94011, Measurement of spirometric forced expiratory flows [...]