CODE.REBECCA.DEWICK
Contributor
Can anyone confirm??? With History of Skin Cancer- if you also bill for screening for malig neoplasms that would count as a "condition" toward your E/M code...... yes/no?? thoughts
Rebecca
Rebecca
No, I wouldn't consider that as two contributing factors to MDM. Remember that MDM is about decision-making. What is the provider documenting in their assessment and plan, i.e. what problems are they considering, what risk factors are involved, and what risks are posed to the patient by the treatment options they are proposing for management of those problems? 'Screening' is not one of these - again, screening is a preventive service and isn't part of a problem-oriented E&M service because it's not directed at any symptom or disease. There's no risk to a patient in being 'checked' if there are no symptoms or problems being considered, and no 'decision' involved in conducting a screening - remember that screening is something done for a patient with no signs, symptoms or history of a particular disease.Im sorry, i rushed and try so hard to be clear.... YES provider documents patient has a history of-- and also documents he screened for any at time of visit noting any benign etc... i thought the combination of having a history and provider looking for any additional counted toward E/M... do you think that sounds right?
SO maybe i should be looking at code Z08? my provider feels he should get credit for examining skin for malignancies- if pt had a history- and is coming back at specific intervals to see if any other malig manifested.No, I wouldn't consider that as two contributing factors to MDM. Remember that MDM is about decision-making. What is the provider documenting in their assessment and plan, i.e. what problems are they considering, what risk factors are involved, and what risks are posed to the patient by the treatment options they are proposing for management of those problems? 'Screening' is not one of these - again, screening is a preventive service and isn't part of a problem-oriented E&M service because it's not directed at any symptom or disease. There's no risk to a patient in being 'checked' if there are no symptoms or problems being considered, and no 'decision' involved in conducting a screening - remember that screening is something done for a patient with no signs, symptoms or history of a particular disease.
If the provider does document benign lesions or other abnormal findings during a screening, those could be counted, because there is a decision involved there - i.e. whether to biopsy or to monitor or do nothing - and there's a risk involved in that decision. And the history of a skin cancer does involve a risk too. But a screening does not. Just my thoughts on it though - others may take it differently. These are grey areas and the guidelines can only get you so far.
You are talking about two different things here - diagnosis coding and MDM. These are separate questions.SO maybe i should be looking at code Z08? my provider feels he should get credit for examining skin for malignancies- if pt had a history- and is coming back at specific intervals to see if any other malig manifested.
example est pt- comes with history of melanoma and it is their scheduled bi-yearly check.... provider does a total body skin exam... since i cant count body areas to get to E/M code im now counting conditions/issues. time doesn't come into play for our picking E/M codes. Provider finds benign neoplasms. I believe we can count a 99213 E/M instead of 99212. Benign neoplasm and combination of Z08 and Z85.820 make one of the 2 self limited problems.... yes / no??