AMA CPT® Assistant - 2015 Issue 1 (January)

Surgery: Respiratory System (Q&A) (January 2015)

January 2015 page 13a Surgery: Respiratory System Question: Would it be appropriate to report code 31237, Nasal/sinus endoscopy, surgical; with biopsy, polypectomy or debridement (separate procedure), with modifier 50 appended, when this procedure is performed on both sides? Answer: Yes. Code 31237 is a unilateral code. Modifier 50 should be appended when the procedure is performed bilaterally (see page 167 of the CPT 2015 Professional codebook). Although there are separate entry "holes" technically, it is still part of the nose and there is no separate incision or additional equipment required for the second surgical site (ie, the nostril). This...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to the AMA CPT® Assistant.


Access to this feature is available in the following products:
  • AMA's CPT® Assistant - Current + Archives
  • AMA's CPT® Advanced Coding Pack
 
CPT® Assistant content is the official source for CPT® coding guidance. It is an instrumental tool when appealing insurance denials and validating coding to auditors. Monthly issues and an extensive archive provide comprehensive guidance on proper CPT® coding for past, present and upcoming code set releases. Archives date back to 1990 for historical use of codes, changes, rationales, coding tips and trends in the industry.

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.