Three ways to add an Additional $293 in Minor Procedure Pay

You could be missing out on opportunities to capture higher-paying procedure codes if you are overlooking reporting these splinting and foreign body removal codes.

Procedure 1: Gather $38 for sport injury splinting

Pee-wee football has started up and with it the chance you will see an increased number of patients with jammed fingers. For a non-angulated finger, the pediatrician might fix the sprain, splint the finger and send the patient home.

For the finger splint application, you could report 29130, which contains 1.02 RVUs, using the Resource Based Relative Value Scale. Even though global fracture care codes include the initial cast or application, you may use the casting and splinting codes in addition to an appropriate E/M code with modifier 25 when you don't report a fracture treatment code.

Do not miss: For the history, exam, and medical decision making that led to the decision to splint the finger, you'd report a significant separate E/M service appended with modifier 25. As you are not reporting a global fracture care code, you may also code the x-ray.

Procedure 2: Use tapping procedure code to add on $38

If a toe is broken, the pediatrician might buddy tape it to the adjacent toe and refer the patient to an orthopedist. For the buddy tapping, you could code 29550 (Strapping toes). The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, which many payers adopt, assigns the code 1.04 RVUs. Report the history, examination and medical decision making preceding the decision to buddy tape the toe with 99201-99215 appended with modifier 25.

For the x-ray, go for 73600.

Procedure 3: Capture $227 on splinter removal

Removing a splinter from a patient's foot can net you around $227. For example, a pediatrician removes a 3 mm wooden splinter from a child's foot. Rather than including the work in an E/M code, you can use 28190, which has 6.15 RVUs.

Tip: Prior to using 28190, check that the documentation includes two details. The code need excising or opening to remove the foreign body. You have to say how and what you removed. Proper documentation could read: “1 mm incision made with X, removed splinter. This entry meets 28190's requirements of incision and removal.

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