Wiki Knee Surgery Coding

[Lvgreen219]

Can I bill codes 29881, 29877, 29874 and 29879 together? Fairly new to ortho coding. The doctor usually writes down the CPT codes he uses but is not totally up to date with new rules and regulations. I can provide the op report if necessary.

Thank you for your time and help!

 

[Orthocoderpgu]

29881 & 29877 can't be billed together because both can be reported with 29881. Use 29877 when chondroplasty is the only procedure performed basically. 29874 usually not, but depends on the payer and the rules that the payer follows. AAOS will allow separately if it's taken out through a separate opening or over 5mm in size. Most payers don't follow this. 29881 & 29879 don't hit an edit. It's good that your doctor is writing down the procedures that were performed, that's good for you to verify that all procedures were captured in the documentation, but know that due to bundling, not all can be billed out. That's where you come in.

 

[Lvgreen219]

Thanks so much for the help!