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Coding an incomplete procedure

Date: Sep 18, 2020

Question:

If an outpatient is scheduled for a biopsy or drainage procedure based upon previous imaging, and the radiologist decides that the mass or pocket of fluid isn't big enough to intervene, would we bill with the procedure code for the biopsy/drainage with a modifier -52, or bill a limited diagnostic procedure in which the radiologist dictates that we were unable to perform the procedure (aka only billing what was actually performed)?

Question ID : 14478
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