Radiology Coding Alert

Question: When billing CPT 74022 (abdomen series with chest) and CPT 71010 (chest, one view) on the same day, what is the correct way to code to avoid having 71010 denied as included in 74022?

Anonymous OH Subscriber

Answer: If a complete acute abdomen series, including an upright PA chest (74022) and a single view chest, frontal (71010) procedures are performed at the same session, 71010 is included in 74022. No additional reimbursement would be warranted. However, if the complete abdomen series was performed in the morning and it was medically indicated to perform another frontal, single view of the chest later on the same day, then CPT-4 code 71010 with the modifier -59 could be used. The modifier-59 shows that the single view of the chest was an independent procedure from code 74022. The time of each procedure should be in the documentation, and the medical necessity of the second procedure should be noted as well.