bsievering
Contributor
Good morning!
I'm having trouble figuring out the correct code for a patient who came in for a Renal Artery Doppler. The code that I thought was correct, my boss disagreed with. She also presented the question to the provider, and he agreed with her. I guess I'm not fully grasping the way the report reads and that is why I'm thinking of the wrong code. Could someone please clarify this for me? I've included our discussion below. Thanks!
Original Email from Me: Pt no xxx had a Renal Artery Doppler on 4/26/18. The code for that (93976) is not in the fee schedule.
Response from boss: We need to discuss this. Why wouldn't this be code 76770 or 76775?
Me: In the report on Ultralinq, they worded the procedure as "renal Artery Duplex." In the technique description of the report, it states "renal artery duplex examination using B-mode, color
flow, and spectral Doppler to assess arterial stenosis was performed."
93976: Duplex scan of arterial inflow and venous outflow of abdominal, pelvic, scrotal contents and/or retroperitoneal organs; limited study
76770: Ultrasound, retroperitoneal (eg, renal, aorta, nodes), real time with image documentation; complete
76775: Ultrasound, retroperitoneal (eg, renal, aorta, nodes), real time with image documentation; limited
In my opinion, 93976 reads more along the lines of what was performed.
Her Response: I asked provider in my meeting and he said it is 76770.
Radiology has NEVER been my strong point in billing, so any help understanding this would be greatly appreciated!
I'm having trouble figuring out the correct code for a patient who came in for a Renal Artery Doppler. The code that I thought was correct, my boss disagreed with. She also presented the question to the provider, and he agreed with her. I guess I'm not fully grasping the way the report reads and that is why I'm thinking of the wrong code. Could someone please clarify this for me? I've included our discussion below. Thanks!
Original Email from Me: Pt no xxx had a Renal Artery Doppler on 4/26/18. The code for that (93976) is not in the fee schedule.
Response from boss: We need to discuss this. Why wouldn't this be code 76770 or 76775?
Me: In the report on Ultralinq, they worded the procedure as "renal Artery Duplex." In the technique description of the report, it states "renal artery duplex examination using B-mode, color
flow, and spectral Doppler to assess arterial stenosis was performed."
93976: Duplex scan of arterial inflow and venous outflow of abdominal, pelvic, scrotal contents and/or retroperitoneal organs; limited study
76770: Ultrasound, retroperitoneal (eg, renal, aorta, nodes), real time with image documentation; complete
76775: Ultrasound, retroperitoneal (eg, renal, aorta, nodes), real time with image documentation; limited
In my opinion, 93976 reads more along the lines of what was performed.
Her Response: I asked provider in my meeting and he said it is 76770.
Radiology has NEVER been my strong point in billing, so any help understanding this would be greatly appreciated!
