tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2010 Issue 11

Lesion Removal: 11443 or 11441? Measure Correctly and Add $54 to This Excision Claim

Timing is everything for coding accuracy.Waiting for the pathologist to measure an excised lesion could cost your surgeon plenty. But not waiting for the pathology report could saddle the patient with a misdiagnosis. Use these tips to ensure correct diagnosis -- and maximize pay.Rule # 1 -- Measure FirstYou should select the appropriate lesion excision size code based on the surgeon's report. "If the surgeon doesn't measure the lesion before he cuts it out, he's cutting his reimbursement in half," says John F. Bishop, PA-C, CPC, MS, CWS, president of Tampa, Fla.-based Bishop and Associates...

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