tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2001 Issue 1

You Be the Coder: Whipple Procedure and Cholecystectomy

Question: Is it ever appropriate to bill separately for cholecystectomy when performed in conjunction with a Whipple procedure (48150) if the chole is done because of chronic inflammation or sludge? I have billed with modifier -59 and appealed these to Medicare but have not received separate payment. Can these procedures be billed together when performed during the same operative session?Washington, D.C., SubscriberTest your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.Answer: The standard radical pancreaticoduodenectomy, or Whipple procedure (48150, pancreatectomy, proximal subtotal with total duodenectomy, partial...

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