tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2012 Issue 2

Reader Question: Decide Billing Order for Bilateral Procedures

Question: When billing multiple surgeries, we usually put the procedure with the highest RVUs first. But when billing a unilateral bilateral surgery, would it be beneficial to put the other procedure first, even if it has lower RVUs than the bilateral code?Arkansas Subscriber Answer: Yes, if the surgeon performs multiple procedures, including a bilateral procedure performed unilaterally, you should sometimes list a lower relative value units (RVUs) procedure first, even if the bilateral code has a higher RVU. That's because a bilateral procedure performed unilaterally would be paid at a reduced allowable anyway. Do this: If the 150...

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