tci Outpatient Facility Coding Alert - 2019 Issue Q3

Reader Question: Discern Between US Codes for Intraoperative Services

Question: Should I report 76536 for ultrasound (US) guidance during a total thyroidectomy? Is the ultrasound separately billable? The physician documents that the US is for incision site planning and to further evaluate the extension of the tumor. Wyoming Subscriber Answer: You should not report 76536 (Ultrasound, soft tissues of head and neck (eg, thyroid, parathyroid, parotid), real time with image documentation) for any US that the physician performs intraoperatively. If the physician opts to perform a US prior to surgery for evaluation and planning purposes, 76536 would be appropriate. For an intraoperative US, you should report 76998 (Ultrasonic...

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