Coding News and Expert Advice

Coding News and Expert Advice
Empower your coding team with the up-to-date answers from the Academy's coding experts. Our carefully researched responses cover federal and commercial payers and help you improve documentation, submit clean claims and appropriately maximize reimbursement. Not a AAOE member? Join today.
Note: Coding regulations and edits can change often. Academy coding advice is based on current information. Visit aao.org/coding for the most recent updates. Information provided by our coding experts is copyrighted by the American Academy of Ophthalmology and intended for individual practice use only.
1-20 of 189 results
1 2 3 4 5 Next »

Fundamentals of Coding Top 10 - Special Edition

AUG 14, 2023 in Oculofacial, Coding Top 10, Telemedicine, Cataract/Anterior Segment, E/M, Coding Competency, Retina, Testing Services, Diabetes, Modifiers, Exams, CPT

This month's special edition Coding Top 10 includes questions from the 2023 Fundamentals of Ophthalmic Coding Course presented on June 27 in collaboration with the Academy’s Young Ophthalmologist (YO) Committee.

Comments 0

Views 727

Congratulations to OCS and OCSR Designees

AUG 08, 2023 in Modifiers, Cornea, Pediatric/Strabismus, Cataract/Anterior Segment, Coding Updates, CPT, Exams, Glaucoma, Testing Services, ICD-10, Oculofacial, Coding Competency, Retina

Here is an updated list of individuals who have passed the Ophthalmic Coding Specialist and/or Ophthalmic Coding Specialist Retina exams in 2023.

Comments 0

Views 700

Documenting Visually Significant Cataract

AUG 04, 2023 in Exams, Coding Competency, Ask the Expert, Cataract/Anterior Segment

What is the recommended documentation for a visually significant cataract that requires surgery? Is a manifest refraction required for every cataract surgery or will a glare test suffice?

Comments 0

Views 120

Office Visit with Corneal Foreign Body Removal

AUG 04, 2023 in Coding Competency, Modifiers, Ask the Expert, Exams

Can you bill an office visit with a corneal foreign body removal?

Comments 0

Views 105

Coding Top 10 - July 2023

JUL 20, 2023 in Retina, Glaucoma, CPT, Coding Top 10, Coding Competency, Cataract/Anterior Segment, Pediatric/Strabismus, Exams, Modifiers, E/M

Get trusted answers to your coding questions from the Academy's coding experts, so you can bill and code with confidence.

Comments 0

Views 586

Billing for Testing Performed by Referring Office

JUL 19, 2023 in Coding Competency, Exams, E/M, Testing Services, Ask the Expert

Can I bill for the interpretation only of an OCT that was performed and billed a week prior by the referring optometrist?

Comments 0

Views 32

Coding Top 10 - June 2023

JUN 12, 2023 in Retina, CPT, Pediatric/Strabismus, Cataract/Anterior Segment, Coding Top 10, Glaucoma, Exams, Modifiers, Coding Competency, E/M

Get trusted answers to your coding questions from the Academy's coding experts, so you can bill and code with confidence.

Comments 0

Views 830

Removal of Sutures or Staples Not Requiring Anesthesia

JUN 12, 2023 in Exams, Ask the Expert, Coding Competency

Would it be appropriate to bill the evaluation and management (E/M) code and 15853?

Comments 0

Views 1398

Coding Top 10 - May 2023

MAY 09, 2023 in E/M, CPT, Pediatric/Strabismus, Exams, Retina, Modifiers, Cataract/Anterior Segment, Coding Competency, Coding Top 10

Get trusted answers to your coding questions from the Academy's coding experts, so you can bill and code with confidence.

Comments 0

Views 869

Dilating Drops and Medical Decision-Making

MAY 08, 2023 in Coding Competency, Ask the Expert, Exams

Does documenting that the patient was counseled regarding the risks and possible side effects of dilating drops count toward the prescription counseling requirement of medical decision-making (MDM)?

Comments 0

Views 88

Is dilation required?

MAY 08, 2023 in Exams, Ask the Expert, Coding Competency

For Eye visit codes, if the physician documents 12 exam elements on an established patient, but doesn't dilate, do we bill a 92012 or 92014?

Comments 0

Views 194

Follow-Up Exam Prior To Cataract Surgery

MAY 08, 2023 in Exams, Coding Competency, Cataract/Anterior Segment, Ask the Expert

If a cataract patient comes in for pre-surgical testing and discussion of the cataract surgery can the physician charge an evaluation and management (E/M) code? The patient has already had a comprehensive eye exam to determine the need for the surgery.

Comments 0

Views 106

Coding Top 10 - April 2023

APR 11, 2023 in Pediatric/Strabismus, CPT, Retina, Coding Competency, Cataract/Anterior Segment, Exams, Oculofacial, Coding Top 10, E/M, Modifiers

Get trusted answers to your coding questions from the Academy's coding experts, so you can bill and code with confidence.

Comments 0

Views 846

Performing Confrontational Visual Fields

APR 10, 2023 in E/M, Coding Competency, Ask the Expert, Exams

Is it necessary to do confrontational visual fields when coding any level of an exam?

Comments 0

Views 113

Moderate Level Visit for Oculofacial Surgery

APR 10, 2023 in E/M, Exams, Ask the Expert, Oculofacial

Are we able to bill a level 4 evaluation and management E/M (99214) or a comprehensive Eye visit code (92014) for patients that schedule oculofacial surgeries?

Comments 0

Views 34

Correct Number of Strabismus Post-op visits

APR 10, 2023 in Exams, Pediatric/Strabismus, CPT, Coding Competency, Ask the Expert

How many post-op visits does the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) include in the value of the global surgical package for strabismus surgery?

Comments 0

Views 23

Glaucoma Problems Addressed at the Encounter

APR 10, 2023 in Exams, Ask the Expert, E/M, Coding Competency, Glaucoma

I was told if patients have two different stages of glaucoma — moderate in one eye, severe in the other eye — this counts as two problems. Is that correct?

Comments 0

Views 36

Documenting a Plan of Care

APR 10, 2023 in Ask the Expert, E/M, Exams

We often see lack of documentation for a glaucoma plan of care. Most of our physicians use the abbreviation “CPM” as the plan of care. Is this abbreviation (and only this abbreviation) sufficient for moderate risk of patient management?

Comments 0

Views 121

Providing Interpreters for Patients

APR 10, 2023 in Exams, Ask the Expert

We are a privately owned practice. Are we required by federal or state laws to provide interpreters for our limited English proficiency patients?

Comments 0

Views 83

Coding Top 10 - March 2023

MAR 10, 2023 in Retina, Testing Services, Exams, CPT, Cornea, Pediatric/Strabismus, Coding Competency, Cataract/Anterior Segment, Modifiers, Coding Top 10, Oculofacial

Get trusted answers to your coding questions from the Academy's coding experts, so you can bill and code with confidence.

Comments 0

Views 857

1-20 of 189 results
1 2 3 4 5 Next »

Narrow Your Results

Select Code Type

Select Topic

Select Category

About Our Coding Experts

OUR SITES

FOLLOW THE ACADEMY