Cardiology Question for the Week of February 5, 2018

How is the following scenario coded? A patient has a SVG anastomosed to the LC obtuse marginal (OM). Next, this graft “jumps” to the RC posterolateral branch. Through the vein graft, the OM lesion is treated with angioplasty and bare metal stenting and a second lesion in the posterolateral branch of the RC is treated with angioplasty.

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Cardiology Question for the Week of January 29, 2018

I have a provider who billed 93015 for a cardiovascular stress test performed in the outpatient hospital setting, and the hospital billed the following code:

93017 Cardiovascular stress test using maximal or submaximal treadmill or bicycle exercise, continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, and/or pharmacological stress; tracing only, without interpretation and report

The provider’s claim was re-coded from 93015 to 93018. How should a cardiovascular stress test done in a facility when a physician provides supervision as well as interpretation and report?

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Laboratory Question for the Week of January 29, 2018

As I understand the Medicare rules, physician interpretation of a molecular pathology procedure (e.g., CPT® codes 81161–81408) may be reported with HCPCS code G0452 (molecular pathology procedure; physician interpretation and report) as long as certain criteria are met. What are those criteria?

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Radiology Question for the Week of January 29, 2018

Can a radiologist bill for the reading of a post breast biopsy/clip/wire-placement mammogram? It is usually a two-view mammogram that indicates the clip/wire placement. Prior to 2016, the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) edits didn’t allow, but I believe this policy was revised. If the radiologist can bill for the reading of the post breast biopsy/clip/wire placement mammogram, would it be a unilateral, diagnostic mammogram?

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Laboratory Question for the Week of January 22, 2018

If we perform most of the components of an obstetric panel in our hospital lab but we have to send out one component to a reference lab, would we append the modifier 90 to the entire panel, or do we have to report each component separately and append the modifier 90 to only the CPT® code that was sent out?

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