tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2008 Issue 11

Multiple Breaks? Code 'Worst' Fracture First

When a patient reports to the ED with multiple fractures, put your treatment codes in the right order using this simple rule: Code the fracture that required the most care first, advises Michael Lemanski, MD, ED billing director at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Mass.Example: The ED physician performs closed treatment on a tibial shaft fracture using manipulation. During the same session, the physician also performs definitive closed treatment on a distal radial fracture without manipulation, including placing a cast. He then helps the patient coordinate follow-up care with her PCP. In this instance, you would report the...

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