tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2012 Issue 12

You Be the Coder: Coding Separate Services on Fracture Claims

Question: A 17-year-old patient reports to the ED with an injured lower left leg. The ED physician orders x-rays, which confirm a scaphoid fracture; notes indicate the bone fragments were not aligned or in proper position. The patient reports extreme pain during the exam, and becomes very anxious when he learns of the pending surgery, so the ED physician performs 22 minutes of moderate sedation while performing closed treatment of the fracture. The physician then casts the injury and instructs the patient to report to an orthopedist for follow-up care. Can I report the x-rays and conscious sedation separately...

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