tci Part B Insider - 2008 Issue 22

READER QUESTION: Removing Stitches? Check These Rules Before You Bill

Medicare lays down the law on this issue, ensuring that you differentiate between simple post-op removal and more complex proceduresQuestion: Our physician saw a patient for the sole purpose of removing the patient's stitches. Which code should we report for the suture removal? Answer: You may be able to report suture removal separately, but only in relatively rare circumstances.If the same physician who placed the sutures removes them during the original procedure's global period, you cannot report the removal separately. For example: A patient returns to the office for suture removal during the global period of the surgery...

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