Wiki 69210

[stephmescher]

Hello-
I am unable to locate guidance regarding the ancillary staff performing the 69210 removal of cerumen with instrumentation. Are there any clinics that are letting their ancillary staff do this service or requiring the physicians perform only?
Thanks

 

[thomas7331]

The procedures staff are allowed to perform is something that is regulated by individual state laws. If you contact your state's board of nursing, or whichever agency controls the particular licenses of the ancillary staff, they should be able to tell you whether or not this procedure is within the scope of that license. You may also wish to speak to your provider's malpractice insurance carrier to see whether or not the practice would be covered if this was performed by staff.

All that said, I've never come across a provider in this country who would entrust this to ancillary staff, due to the potential risk to the patient. The instrumentation described here is usually a curette, or other sharp instrument that requires some specialized training - this is not the same instrumentation that is used to flush the ears with water, which would be described by code 69209, which is in fact a procedure that ancillary staff routinely do. I personally would not allow a non-physician to do this to my ears.