Urology Coding Alert

Pitfall: Watch out for payer-specific rules, however.Multiple codes, code additions and deletions, and required modifiers make coding uroflometry a challenge even for veteran coders. A change to the global period assignment for CPT 51736 (Simple uroflowmetry [UFR] [eg, stop-watch flow rate, mechanical uroflowmeter]) and CPT 51741 (Complex uroflowmetry [e.g., calibrated electronic equipment]) makes things a bit easier. Read on to find out what you need to know about how global periods affect your uroflometry coding.Learn What Changed With 51741In the January 2011 release of the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, CMS changed the global periods for both 51736 and 51741 from 000 to XXX.CMS drastically reduced the reimbursement you receive for both simple and complex uroflowmetry for 2011. "But in doing that they put the code in the category of 'global concept does not apply'," explains Michael A. Ferragamo, MD, FACS, clinical assistant professor of urology at the State University of [...]