November 2008 page 10
Surgery/Integumentary, 17999 (Q&A)
Question: What would be the appropriate CPT code for wrinkle
removal by laser?
Answer: There is no specific CPT code that accurately
describes this service. Therefore, the unlisted code 17999,
Unlisted procedure, skin, mucous membrane and subcutaneous
tissue, should be reported. When reporting an unlisted
code to describe a procedure or service, it is necessary to
submit supporting documentation (eg, procedure report)
along with the claim to provide an adequate description of
the nature, extent, need for the procedure, and the time,
effort, and equipment necessary to provide the service.
Surgery/Integumentary...
Note: The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.
Article Overview
This short CPT Assistant Q&A article addresses an integumentary-system service that does not have a dedicated CPT code and discusses the use of an unlisted procedure code for reporting. It is relevant to coders, billers, and compliance staff who work with dermatology or other skin-related procedures and need to understand when unlisted coding and supporting documentation are involved.
Why This Topic Matters
Articles like this help coding professionals recognize when a service falls outside the standard CPT code set and requires broader documentation support. It is useful for avoiding code selection errors in skin-related procedures and for understanding the type of evidence commonly associated with unlisted reporting.
Article Sections
November 2008 page 10
A brief Q&A from the November 2008 issue covering an integumentary-system coding topic and related reporting considerations.
What You Will Learn
The general circumstances under which an integumentary-system service may lack a specific CPT code
The role of unlisted-procedure reporting in a CPT Q&A format
The kind of documentation typically associated with reporting an unlisted procedure code
How this article fits within CPT Assistant guidance for skin-related services
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