Radiology Coding Alert

Question: I code the professional component for pediatric radiology. What are the correct CPT codes for the following x-rays? 1) bilateral knees, standing, one view, one film showsboth knees from abdomen to ankles 2) bilateral ankles, one view, one film for both ankles. Florida Subscriber Answer: The key to both of these scenarios is that you should report the services by view -- not by the number of films. 1) For the first scenario, you should report one unit of 73565 (Radiologic examination, knee; both knees,standing, anteroposterior). Reason: The tech may be able to fit a small childs entire body on one film, but you should take the order into account when you code. The ordering physician in this case considered a bilateral standing knee exam medically necessary for this patient -- and the radiologist documented this service -- so thats what you should code. Dont let the radiologists comments on other areas [...]