Reportable procedure and diagnoses include:
The following services are considered colorectal cancer screening services:
POA Exempt | ICD-10 from 2011 - 2016 Z12.11 is a billable ICD code used to specify a diagnosis of encounter for screening for malignant neoplasm of colon. A 'billable code' is detailed enough to be used to specify a medical diagnosis.
Colonoscopy – CPT Codes 45378-45398, G0105, G0121 The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) works to ensure that adequate methods are in place for gastroenterology practices to report and obtain fair and reasonable reimbursement for procedures, tests and visits.
If you prep the patient for a screening or diagnostic colonoscopy and do not advance the scope due to obstruction, patient discomfort, or other complications; append modifier 53 (discontinued procedure) to report an incomplete colonoscopy.
Per Medicare guidelines, the procedure should be codes as a colonoscopy with a 53 modifier, which will pay a partial fee and allow you to repeat the procedure within the restricted time period and get full payment for the second procedure.
In certain situations, an endoscopist will encounter difficulty in advancing the colonoscope through the colon, leading to incomplete colonoscopy. Incomplete colonoscopy rates vary from 4% to 25%.
Poor bowel preparation has been shown to be associated with lower quality indicators of colonoscopy performance, such as reduced cecal intubation rates, increased patient discomfort and lower adenoma detection.
A family of CPT codes applies to colonoscopy. For example, code 45378 applies to a colonoscopy in which no polyp is detected, while codes 45380-45385 apply to colonoscopy that involves an intervention (e.g., 45385 is the code for colonoscopy with polypectomy.)
By definition, modifier 53 is used to indicate a discontinued procedure and modifier 52 indicates reduced services. In both the cases, a modifier should be appended to the CPT code that represents the basic service performed during a procedure.
Reasons for incomplete colonoscopy included poor preparation (11%), pain or inadequate sedation (16%), tortuous colon (30%), diverticular disease (6%), obstructing mass (6%) and stricturing disease (10%). Reasons for incomplete procedures in the remaining 21% of patients were not reported by the referring physician.
A screening colonoscopy should be reported with the following International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition (ICD-10) codes: Z12. 11: Encounter for screening for malignant neoplasm of the colon.
Suboptimal bowel preparation inhibits the endoscopist's ability to visualize the mucosal lining for polyps and cancers; this lack of visualization influences recommended follow-up intervals for repeat screening or surveillance colonoscopy[7,8].
You will need to do a bowel preparation to empty your colon before your procedure. It's very important that your colon is empty for your colonoscopy. If there's stool (poop) inside your colon, your doctor may not be able to see polyps or other problems inside your colon and you may have to repeat the procedure.
The Aronchick scale defines adequate or fair bowel preparation as visualization of 80% to 90% of the entire colonic mucosa after clearance of a moderate amount of stool by suctioning.
To report screening colonoscopy on a patient not considered high risk for colorectal cancer, use HCPCS code G0121 and diagnosis code Z12.11 ( encounter for screening for malignant neoplasm of the colon ).
As such, “screening” describes a colonoscopy that is routinely performed on an asymptomatic person for the purpose of testing for the presence of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps. Whether a polyp or cancer is ultimately found does not ...
The PT modifier ( colorectal cancer screening test, converted to diagnostic test or other procedure) is appended to the CPT ® code.
Colonoscopy, flexible, proximal to splenic flexure; diagnostic, with or without collection of specimen (s) by brushing or washing, with or without colon decompression (separate procedure) G0121 ( colorectal cancer screening; colonoscopy on individual not meeting the criteria for high risk.
Typically, procedure codes with 0, 10 or 90-day global periods include pre-work, intraoperative work, and post-operative work in the Relative Value Units (RVUs) assigned . As a result, CMS’ policy does not allow for payment of an Evaluation and Management (E/M) service prior to a screening colonoscopy. In 2005, the Medicare carrier in Rhode Island explained the policy this way:
Diagnosis Code Ordering is Important for a Screening Procedure turned Diagnostic. When the intent of a visit is screening, and findings result in a diagnostic or therapeutic service, the ordering of the diagnosis codes can affect how payers process the claim.
Screening colonoscopy is a service with first dollar coverage. A screening test with an A or B rating from the US Preventive Services Task Force, should have no patient due amount, since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was passed.
Definition of Terms Colonoscopy: A colonoscopy is a procedure that permits the direct examination of the mucosa of the entire colon by using a flexible lighted tube. The procedure is done with sedation in a hospital outpatient department, in a clinic , or an office facility. During the colonoscopy a doctor can biopsy and remove pre – cancerous ...
During the colonoscopy a doctor can biopsy and remove pre – cancerous polyps and some early stage cancers and also diagnose other conditions or diseases. General definitions of procedure indications from various specialty societies , including the ACA: * A screening colonoscopy is done to look for disease, such as cancer, ...
Note:The Introduction section is for your general knowledge and is not to be takenas policy coverage criteria. The rest of the policy uses specific words and concepts familiar to medical professionals. It is intended for providers.A provider can be a person, such as a doctor, nurse, psychologist, or dentist.
It can also be doneas a diagnostic procedure when symptoms or lab tests suggest there might be a problem in the rectum or colon.In some cases, minor procedures may be done during a colonoscopy,such as taking a biopsy or destroying an area of unhealthy tissue (a lesion).
This guideline applies only to people of average risk. Colonoscopy is only one of the screening tests that can be used. This benefit coverage guideline provides general information about how the health plan decides whether a colonoscopy is covered under the preventive or diagnostic (medical) benefits.
CPT codes, descriptions and other data only are copyright 2020 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/HHSARS apply.
Title XVIII of the Social Security Act §1833 (e) prohibits Medicare payment for any claim which lacks the necessary information to process the claim.
A covered colonoscopy that is attempted but cannot be completed because of extenuating circumstances is considered to be an incomplete colonoscopy (the inability to advance the colonoscope to the cecum or to the colon-small intestine anastomosis due to unforeseen circumstances).
Contractors may specify Bill Types to help providers identify those Bill Types typically used to report this service. Absence of a Bill Type does not guarantee that the article does not apply to that Bill Type.
Contractors may specify Revenue Codes to help providers identify those Revenue Codes typically used to report this service. In most instances Revenue Codes are purely advisory. Unless specified in the article, services reported under other Revenue Codes are equally subject to this coverage determination.
Effective for dates of service on or after January 1, 2016, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) established values for incomplete diagnostic and screening colonoscopies under Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) definition of an incomplete colonoscopy where the colonoscope is advanced past the splenic flexure, but not to the cecum.
Coding correctly the first time will eliminate the need to appeal the claim. In some cases, you may plan to provide a colonoscopy (screening or diagnostic) but, due to unforeseen circumstances, may be unable to complete the procedure.
Note: When a covered colonoscopy is next attempted and completed, Medicare will pay according to the payment methodology for this procedure as long as coverage conditions are met. This policy is applied to both screening and diagnostic colonoscopies.