tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2002 Issue 11

You Be the Coder: Bilateral Chest Tubes

Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer. Question: A patient in the emergency department needed bilateral chest tubes, and I used 32002 (Thoracentesis with insertion of tube with or without water seal [e.g., for pneumothorax] [separate procedure]) for the procedure code. Should I apply this code only once? Should I append it with modifier -50 (Bilateral procedure) or -51 (Multiple procedures) instead? Maryland Subscriber           Answer: Apply 32002 only once for this procedure, but do not use modifier -51. The thoracentesis...

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