Wiki Echocardiogram Complete vs Limited

[torresreb]

I understand what is needed in order to bill a complete echo what I would like to have clarified (if someone would please let me know as I cannot find it); whether we can bill a complete if say the patient was experiencing AFIB on the day of the study which rendered some of the areas uninterpretable .

For instance I see: LV diastolic function could not be assessed due to the presence of atrial fibrillation during the study.

since the provider tried to get a reading and could not are they able to get credit for that or is this a modifier 52 situation?

thank you!!

 

[clayjagod1]

You would bill complete. I found this article from AHIMA online:

http://campus.ahima.org/audio/2007/RB071707.pdf page 14

Under Diagnostic Ultrasound's Guidelines, 2018 CPT, it also states, "For those anatomic regions that have "complete" and "limited" ultrasound codes, note the elements that comprise a "complete" exam. The report should contain a description of these elements or the reason that an element could not be visualized (e.g. obscured by bowel gas, surgically absent)".

I wasn't able to find anything on CMS' website to contradict this.

Clay