Pulmonology Coding Alert
Report One Each For 31632 and 31633
Because the patient is having respiratory failure, the pulmonologist performs an open lung biopsy. Therefore, the pulmonologist performs a transbronchial lung biopsy with the help of fluoroscopic guidance to navigate the forceps to the upper lobe of the lung.
How should I report this to get full reimbursement?
South Carolina Subscriber
Answer: You code the bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy as 31628 (Bronchoscopy, rigid or flexible ...; with transbronchial lung biopsy[s], single lobe).
If the physician must also take a biopsy from another lobe in either lung, you report this as +31632 (...with transbronchial lung biopsy[s], each additional lobe [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) to indicate an additional biopsy taken from a different lobe.
Keep in mind that for both 31632 and +31633 (...with transbronchial needle aspiration biopsy[s], each additional lobe [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]), you can only report each code once per lobe, regardless of how many transbronchial lung biopsies or needle aspirations the physician performs in that lobe, CPT states.
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Report One Each For 31632 and 31633
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