Wiki Screening for progression of AAA - 76706 or 76705

[vidraj]

Hello,

Our Physician did an ultrasound for a patient new to the practice - to check the progression of AAA (I71.4 )

Need your inputs on this if this can be coded as 76706 or 76705?

The ICD is not meeting the CMS medical necessity guidelines for 76706 for the AAA screening.

Please suggest!

 

[thomas7331]

If the patient already has a known AAA, then it is not a screening. Screenings, by definition, are for early detection of disease in asymptomatic patients without known disease. If the reason for the test is to check the progress of a known disease that has already been detected in a previous study, then this is a diagnostic procedure, not a screening.

 

[Orthocoderpgu]

This is not insignificant. This can be life-threatening. Checking the progression is critical.

 

[vidraj]

If the patient already has a known AAA, then it is not a screening. Screenings, by definition, are for early detection of disease in asymptomatic patients without known disease. If the reason for the test is to check the progress of a known disease that has already been detected in a previous study, then this is a diagnostic procedure, not a screening.

Thank you. Is 76705 more appropriate to code here?