Question:
If the doctor did an ultrasound of the abdomen to evaluate for ascites, would that be an unlisted code or 76705? He looked at the entire abdomen but did not document the elements required for 76700.
Answer:
The exam is reported with code 76705. If the abdomen is evaluated by ultrasound but the elements required for complete abdominal ultrasound 76700 are not documented, then limited code 76705 would be reported. If the same doctor went on to do a paracentesis at the same session using ultrasound guidance, then only 49083 would be reported. The original ultrasound localization of ascites would be included in 49083.
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