Here is your ZHealth Coding
newsletter for January
15, 2008
Below is recent ZHealth
Online Q & A submitted by one of our
members. You, too, can join ZHealth Online -- and check out
hundreds of interventional radiology, cardiology,
vascular & endovascular coding questions and
answers, get your own questions answered, and
access a wealth of valuable, current information
that will help your organization keep in compliance and
realize its appropriate reimbursement. Sign up for your free trial
today.
Coding
Question: A patient
has liver mets. A diagnostic
angiogram of SMA, celiac, CHA, GDA, right gastric
artery, left gastric artery, RHA and LHA was followed by
embolization/Sir-Sphere of the GDA and right gastric
artery. Three weeks later the pt
comes back for embolization/Sir-Sphere of the RHA and
cystic artery. On this visit the
radiologist also does selective angiograms of the
celiac, RHA and cystic artery prior to the embolization.
Are we allowed to bill for all of the angiograms done on
this visit or just the cystic artery angio since it was
not done on the prior visit?
Dr. Z’s Answer: Sirsphere
embolization in the liver, due to its superselectivity
and type of therapy can cause significant changes to the
vasculature of the liver with occlusions and occasional
dissections of vessels in the areas of interest for the
subsequent embolization, and so it may be reasonable to
repeat certain angiograms to be sure it is safe to
embolize again. If these additional
imaging studies are performed only for guidance, they
should not be coded but if for diagnostic purposes you
can. This should be discussed with the physicians
performing the studies to be sure of their intent and to
be sure documentation supports their
intent.
9
New ZHealth Webinars for 2008
Beginning March 25, 2008 ZHealth Publishing will
offer 9 new seminars starting with Basic
Catheter Selection:
Order, Order in the Vascular
Family -- followed by 8 more
through December 2008. Here’s the complete schedule for this year.
It’s one of THE best ways to stay current with
interventional radiology, cardiology, and
vascular/endovascular surgery
coding:
-
Listen to
90-minute, live, interactive, audio presentations (and
view the presentation outline) via the Internet with
no travel expenses – during your lunch hour --
Tuesdays at noon CST. The final 15 minutes of each
session will be reserved for a live, open forum
participant Q & A session.
-
-
-
Earn up to 2
(two) society-approved CEU credits (AHIMA, AAPC, ASRT,
RCC* – for each attendee) per individual course.
-
-
Or purchase the
CD’s with your webinar order, and the cost is only an
additional $99 per CD (including shipping).
It's Summer Again --
if you join us in Scottsdale in February -- for the
next ZHealth Coding
Conference
The Phoenix area
is a great place to be in the dead of winter even
if -- unlike most of us -- you live in a temperate
climate all year round. Our next
Interventional Radiology & Cardiology Coding
Conference will be in Scottsdale, AZ at the
beautiful FireSky Resort & Spa. Join us
February 19-22 to learn more about interventional
radiology, cardiology, and endovascular surgery coding
than you thought possible. Note that there are
individual tracks from ½ day to 3 days during that time
as well. Plus, have a great time at the FireSky and in the
Phoenix area. Read what others have said about our coding
conferences – and why so
many clinicians and coding professionals keep
coming back year after year! There's still time to
register.
Pre-Order your 2008 ZHealth coding
books – and receive 2007 editions FREE. We’ve
extended our offer until January 31,
2008.
Hope that you're having a great
2008!
ZHealth Publishing
