Urology Coding Conference - Boost Your +51798 Coding

By Author: Angela Smith
Total Articles: 89
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This year's CPT codes have wreaked havoc on your urodynamics codes. And if you are confused about reporting 51797 in particular, you not alone. In fact, if you know what to report with +51797, you can save yourself $138 per claim. Here are some FAQs that will help you solidify your +51797 coding.
4. Can you report +51797 Alone?
No, you can never report +51797 on its own. This is an add-on-code, which means that you should never report +51797 without also listing a primary procedure.
How it functions this year: For this year, CPT deleted 51795. As such, the directive pointing to which codes you can use with +51797 changed. This year you can report +51797 with 51728 or 51729, which are the new inclusive codes for 2010.
5. Do you need to add a funny symbol before +51797?
As +51797 is an add-on code, you'll often see the plus sign (+) in front of it to show that you can't report this code on its own. The plus sign makes an appearance in the CPT manual as well as in many textual references. When submitting +51797 to payers, you don't need to add the plus sign on your claim.
As +51797 was also ...
... resequenced -- moved out of numerical order -- in the CPT manual in 2010, the AMA designated the change with a pound sign (#). Many medical coders have wondered if they need to add a # on their claim now. No you should not.
6. What if you are coding right but still getting denials?
There have been some troubles in getting reimbursement for CPT code 51797 by several carriers, including Medicare carriers. 51797, coded in addition to 51728 or 51729, has been denied payment, although this coding has been accurate.
The problem is that these carriers have not updated the programs with the 2010 changes for billing urodynamic studies and don't appreciate that 51797 should be billed with CPT codes 51728 or 51729.
For more tips on ways to boost your 51797 coding, sign up for urology coding conferences.