tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 1999 Issue 5

Reader Question: ICD-9s Key to Payment for EGD and Colonoscopy

Question: A surgeon occasionally does EGD and colonoscopy at the same time on the same day. Normally, the diagnosis is rectal bleeding (569.3, hemorrhage of rectum and anus), but not always. How can we bill to get paid for both procedures?Anonymous VT subscriberAnswer: An upper GI procedure will not be covered by a code as specific as rectal bleeding because the carrier will want to know why the surgeon performed the EGD to control bleeding in the rectum. The diagnosis code you should be using is 578.9 (hemorrhage of gastrointestinal tract, unspecified) or 578.1 (blood...

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