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Radiology Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Don't Assume View Number

Published on Fri Aug 20, 2010

Question: If documentation doesn't show the number of views for an X-ray (such as 73100-73110), should we report an unlisted code? Utah Subscriber Answer: Rather than choosing an unlisted code, you first should try to learn from the radiologist the number of views. He can document the number of views using an addendum, and you can choose the appropriate code based on that information. If you can't get a definitive answer on the number of views, then you should report the code representing the lowest number of views. Experts note that auditors who review records that don't document the number of views will downcode the service to match the lowest number of views and restrict payment to that level. For example: If you don't know the number of views for a wrist X-ray, you should report 73100 (Radiologic examination, wrist; 2 views) rather than the more extensive 73110 (... complete, [...]
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