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Here's a family practice coding scenario: When an established patient with emphysema presents complaining of shortness of breath, which CPT code should you go for? The physician provides inhalation treatment, teaches the patient on using the nebulizer at home, and provides an expanded problem-focused examination and medical decision-making of low complexity. Well, you'll require more than one CPT code for this encounter. Use 94640 to cover the all-encompassing service the physician provided. Since the doctor also carried out an office visit, go for 99213 based on your documentation of an expanded problem-focused exam with low-complexity decision-making. You might require to add modifier 25 to 99213 to indicate that the evaluation & management service was significant and separately identifiable from 94640. Go for 94640 in place of 94664 as the physician's main intent was to treat the obstruction. A word of caution: If you bill 94664 with 94640 on the same day to Medicare, see to it that you justify that the doctor provided the 94664 service distinctly separate from the treatment. In this instance, add modifier 59 to 94664 to notify the payer that the FP carried out 94664 separate from 94640. The documentation should include details on the medical necessity for separately providing this service. Here's an instance: The doctor determined that the patient's plan of care should include inhalation therapy or the patient is new to this therapy and doesn't know the administration techniques involved in the procedure. The note should clearly show that the doctor demonstrated the inhaler to the patient separate from the administration for treatment. Or else, the insurer may think you're trying to report one service twice. Note: even though it's technically not required, it may link separate diagnosis codes to the E/M and the nebulizer treatment. Say for instance, you could link 786.05 to 99213, and link the emphysema code (492.8, Other emphysema) to 94640. For further details on this and for other specialty-specific articles to assist family practice coding, sign up for a good medical coding resource like Coding Institute.
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