Radiology coding: Keeping track of views is important to X-ray coding
If you want to brush up on the Medicare essentials of when to add views together to find a single code, when to report multiple codes and what to do when you have more than the minimum number of views, the following tips will be of great help to you:
• In order to choose the proper code, you should add all the views performed of the same site and report the most comprehensive code. This holds true even if the patient leaves and returns to radiology on the same day.
For instance, the radiologist interprets a two-view skull X-ray taken at 11:00. In this case you should report 70250.
• Two X-ray codes may be better than one. Although you should not report multiple CPT codes if a single CPT code exists that describes the services, see to it that you don't choose a single code that describes more views than are documented. This move will be viewed by auditors and payers as over-coding.
For instance, the patient has single-view chest and single-view abdomen X-rays. You shouldn't be tempted to report 74022 just because the descriptor includes "abdomen" and "chest". Code 74022 calls for a total abdomen series which the patient did not have in this case.
• You should include additional views in ‘minimum'. Keep a check on code descriptors that include a "minimum" number of views and see to it that you include all views at or above the number in that code.
To report six views of the cervical spine, you should report 72050, and not 72050 and 72040. In other words, the code's "minimum of 4 views" covers all six views. Do not combine 72050's "4 views" and 72040's "2 or 3 views" to cover the six views.
To learn more about correct X-ray coding, radiology coding conferences will certainly of great help to you. But in case you are hard-pressed for time, try going for audio recordings of radiology coding conferences in CDs and MP3s format and listen to them at your own pace.
• In order to choose the proper code, you should add all the views performed of the same site and report the most comprehensive code. This holds true even if the patient leaves and returns to radiology on the same day.
For instance, the radiologist interprets a two-view skull X-ray taken at 11:00. In this case you should report 70250.
• Two X-ray codes may be better than one. Although you should not report multiple CPT codes if a single CPT code exists that describes the services, see to it that you don't choose a single code that describes more views than are documented. This move will be viewed by auditors and payers as over-coding.
For instance, the patient has single-view chest and single-view abdomen X-rays. You shouldn't be tempted to report 74022 just because the descriptor includes "abdomen" and "chest". Code 74022 calls for a total abdomen series which the patient did not have in this case.
• You should include additional views in ‘minimum'. Keep a check on code descriptors that include a "minimum" number of views and see to it that you include all views at or above the number in that code.
To report six views of the cervical spine, you should report 72050, and not 72050 and 72040. In other words, the code's "minimum of 4 views" covers all six views. Do not combine 72050's "4 views" and 72040's "2 or 3 views" to cover the six views.
To learn more about correct X-ray coding, radiology coding conferences will certainly of great help to you. But in case you are hard-pressed for time, try going for audio recordings of radiology coding conferences in CDs and MP3s format and listen to them at your own pace.