Wiki HELP! femoral fracture coding advice needed

[NEOSM507]

Patient was treated for an upper femoral fracture 5 weeks ago. Reported with 27245. She fell during the global period, injuring her lower femur.
To fix the lower femur, we had to remove the femoral rod and replace it with a smaller one - so I think for that we code S72.142A - 27245 (78) and then for the lower femur S72.452A - 27511-79???.

Also, should I bill for removal of the first rod with a 20680?


Thank you!

 

[iowagirl77]

Honestly I feel like replacing the rod in the upper femur is incidental to the newest fracture so I would not bill for that. I would try adding a 22 modifier to 27511-79 to be compensated for the extra work.