“pump Up” Your Cardiology Coding Knowledge & Career With A Ccc Credential

By Author: Celena Rose
Total Articles: 146
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93650's descriptor says it covers ablation with or without temporary pacemaker placement. So how should you code it? Is temporary pacemaker placement included in the service or should you code separately?


Don't report temporary pacemaker placement performed at the same time as the ablation, 93650.


CPT assigns both 33210 and 33211 as separate procedures. CPT's surgery guidelines say that you should not report separate procedure codes in addition to the service code it's a key component of. Cardiologists may place the temporary pacemaker at the same session as ablation because an AV node ablation creates a complete block of electrical stimuli moving from the atrium to the ventricles.


Corrent Coding Initiative (CCI) edits bolster the deal by bundling 33210 and 33211 into 93650. The edit has a modifier indicator of 1 which means that you may override the edit but only if you have outstanding support like the two services taking place at separate sessions.


However, report the insertion separately if the cardiologist placed a permanent pacemaker during ...
... the ablation session.


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