Initial Coding for Lesion Removal and Biopsies – R22.9
In offices that perform minor procedures like lesion removal or skin biopsies, selecting the proper diagnostic code prior to a final diagnosis from a pathology report is relatively easy. Code what you know at the time of service.
Additional Information on G2211 Complexity of Care Code
I was recently researching the newly payable complexity of care code G2211 to see if there was new information to help better understand Medicare’s position on the code. I came across something that surprised me.
Your office manager just received notice of an insurance audit. Now what? Notification of a request for an audit, or a seemingly innocent request for records from a payer, is always a surprise that can be unsettling.
Telemedicine was in use before the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) with specific rules and regulations published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).
What does it mean and when can it be used? The descriptor for this add-on code reads, “Visit complexity inherent to evaluation and management associated with medical care services that serve as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services and or with medical care services that are part of ongoing care related to a patient’s single, serious condition or a complex condition.” After the 2021 PFS Final Rule was released, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) of 2021 imposed a moratorium on Medicare payment for this service. It prohibited CMS from making payment for the G2211 code before January 1, 2024. The code was assigned a bundled payment status.
Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule for 2024 Highlights
The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) Final Rule was released on November 3, 2023. Included in the final rule are significant policy changes for 2024 of which offices and physicians should be aware.
I am often frustrated with those who post their questions on blogs and web pages instead of looking for the answer themselves. All too often the answers I see in response to these questions are incorrect. You will see a discussion with multiple people involved discussing how they handle a specific coding or billing situation, and their answers are all wrong. None of them know they are wrong and, in doing so, continue to distribute incorrect information.
