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Radiology Coding Alert

READER QUESTIONS:

Tackle 78007 Units for Multiple Days

Published on Sat May 09, 2009

Question: How should I code both days of the following nuclear medicine thyroid imaging/uptake scenario? Scenario: Patient presents to our office at 9 a.m. for a dose of I-123. Patient returns four hours later for an uptake. Patient returns 24 hours later (9 a.m., day 2) for the uptake. Tennessee Subscriber Answer: You should report one unit of 78007 (Thyroid imaging, with uptake; multiple determinations) to cover the services for both days. Date of service: If your payer offers a policy in writing stating which date to use as the date of service, follow that instruction. If your payer doesn't offer a policy, the Society of Nuclear Medicine (SNM) suggests that you "establish one standard policy for billing and handle ALL procedure billing in that manner" in its Practice Management Coding Corner Q&A "Nuclear Medicine Dates of Service," created Aug. 5, 2008 (http://interactive.snm.org/index.cfm?PageID=7870&RPID=1995). The Q&A focuses on a scenario [...]
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