Wiki Surgeon B performing an add-on

[malissagiles]

Hi Coders,

Can anyone tell me how to report/bill the following scenario?

Procedure: C4-C5 ACDF (22551, 22845, 20931)

Surgeon A performs the diskectomy and the fusion with bone graft (22551, 20931), then he leaves. Surgeon B then comes in and places the anterior instrumentation (22845).

Surgeon A is reporting 22551 and 20931
Surgeon B: ?

22845 is an add-on code and cannot be reported by itself. How should surgeon B report this to the payer?

TIA!

 

[mhstrauss]

Hi Coders,

Can anyone tell me how to report/bill the following scenario?

Procedure: C4-C5 ACDF (22551, 22845, 20931)

Surgeon A performs the diskectomy and the fusion with bone graft (22551, 20931), then he leaves. Surgeon B then comes in and places the anterior instrumentation (22845).

Surgeon A is reporting 22551 and 20931
Surgeon B: ?

22845 is an add-on code and cannot be reported by itself. How should surgeon B report this to the payer?

TIA!

I just came across a similar scenario in our 2012 AANS book. AANS recommends using 22899 (unlisted procedure) in there is no primary code billed for the add-on procedure to be billed with. This makes sense to me. Hope this helps!