Colonoscopies...all codes and combining them???

[cnh7@embarqmail.com]

I work for a group of surgeons and I was approached with a question about if I can bill a snare polypectomy along with destruction of other lesions were destroyed. I see in the CCI edits that you can not, but does that pertain to the same lesion/polyp or is it considering other lesions/polyps. I have learned that you can bill forceps along with snare if they are two seperate lesions/polyps as long as you add modifier -59. But my question is about destruction with a snare of seperate lesions/polyps. Please help....thank you!

 

[Whitney]

We code for all methods and lesions that are performed and append the 59 modifier to the appropriate code. However BCBS of KS will only allow one procedure due to their policies on endoscopies.

 

[cnh7@embarqmail.com]

Thank you for your time...what have you seen with Medicare?

 

[anknight77]

We bill for all methods as long as they are on different lesions. For instance, you cannot bill for a snare and fulguration of same polyp...

 

[tjanz1418]

Bcbs

Whitney,

Do you happen to have a link to that BCBS of KS policy? I'm not finding that but we are getting denied when I try to bill 2 different methods on different lesions. BCBS is the only one that we are having trouble with