How to report skin lesions can create confusion among coders, according to AAPC.
CPT guidelines mandate that all benign or malignant skin lesion codes include simple wound closure, but complex and intermediate repairs may be reported separately. National Correct Coding Initiative edits are more restrictive for benign lesions of 0.5 cm or less and will bundle immediate and complex repairs for these excisions.
When reporting both excision and repair, list the service having the highest relative value units as primary.
When a repair performed with an adjacent tissue transfer, excisions at the same location should be included in the repair.
More Articles on Coding, Billing and Collections:
Vermont Officials: Accretive Health Did Not Violate Debt Collection Laws
Coordinate With Vendors, Clearinghouses for ICD-10 Transition
AdvantEdge Healthcare Solutions Ranked Fourth-Fastest Growing Company in New Jersey
CPT guidelines mandate that all benign or malignant skin lesion codes include simple wound closure, but complex and intermediate repairs may be reported separately. National Correct Coding Initiative edits are more restrictive for benign lesions of 0.5 cm or less and will bundle immediate and complex repairs for these excisions.
When reporting both excision and repair, list the service having the highest relative value units as primary.
When a repair performed with an adjacent tissue transfer, excisions at the same location should be included in the repair.
More Articles on Coding, Billing and Collections:
Vermont Officials: Accretive Health Did Not Violate Debt Collection Laws
Coordinate With Vendors, Clearinghouses for ICD-10 Transition
AdvantEdge Healthcare Solutions Ranked Fourth-Fastest Growing Company in New Jersey