tci Outpatient Facility Coding Alert - 2017 Issue 5

You Be the Coder: Cancelled, Postponed, or Discontinued? How to Code an Incomplete Colonoscopy

Question: Our gastroenterologist performed a diagnostic colonoscopy under anesthesia but was unable to get past the rectum due to a tight surgical colorectal anastomosis. He discontinued the procedure. The physician suggested that the patient would need surgery to correct the anastomosis. He also mentioned inadequate preparation for the procedure. He then sent the patient to radiology for a barium enema examination. Can I bill the colonoscopy procedure that our gastroenterologist attempted? If so, should I use the modifier 52 or 53? Oklahoma Subscriber Answer: Since your gastroenterologist started out the procedure with the intention of performing a complete colon...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci Outpatient Facility Coding Alert.


TCI's Outpatient Facility Coding Alert helps your facility stay profitable by covering issues that are important to you — everything from billing strategies and appropriate payment indicators to coding tips and tricks, analysis of industry trends, and so much more. Subscribe today and let our experts make your job easier.

  • Current newsletters added each month
  • Fully searchable archives - over 650 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 2012 organized by year and issue
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles

This feature is currently unavailable for online purchase. For more information, please call 801-770-4203 or Contact Us.

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

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