MAY 25, 2017
New Patient Requiring Blepharotomy
Question: Over the weekend, our surgeon treated a new patient with a very large abscess on his eyelid that was incised and drained at this visit. I plan to submit CPT code 67700 Blepharotomy. However, I am unsure about billing an office visit. What should I submit?
Answer: Since this was a new patient, submit the appropriate level of exam. As CPT code 67700 has a 10-day global period, commercial plans and those who do not follow Medicare Part B rules will require modifier -25 on the exam code. Medicare does not require modifier -25 for a new patient exam.
Learn more about modifiers and minor surgical procedures in Ophthalmic Coding: Learn to Code the Essentials and the Ophthalmic Coding Coach.