Radiology Coding Alert

A veteran coder reveals the results of asking radiologists, 'Which code is correct?' You can know every trick in the book about properly coding aspirations and biopsies, but you still can be left guessing if the radiologist includes both terms in the documentation for a single service. Take a look at a real life case provided by Dianne M.Nakvosas, ACS (RAD), senior coder at Compubill Inc. in Orland Park, Ill., and see how she used the case to explain to physicians the importance of clear documentation. Review Case Study for Best Option Nakvosas shared the following case with four doctors: Nakvosas then presented the doctors with the following code options and asked them to choose the appropriate one: 21550 -- Biopsy, soft tissue of neck or thorax 20206 -- Biopsy, muscle, percutaneous needle 38505 -- Biopsy or excision of lymph node(s); by needle, superficial (e.g., cervical, inguinal, axillary) 10022 -- Fine needle aspiration; with [...]