Insurance Codes

[Tamara]

General Information:

ICD-9 codes are used for diagnoses. 
   Neuroma, acoustic (nerve) = 225.1
   Deafness, nerve, unilateral = 389.13
   Deafness, neural, unlateral = 389.21

CPT codes are used for procedures.
   Implant, temporal = 69714  (BAHA)

There are scores of codes for deafness.  If anyone wants me to check codes of any sort for any reason, just ask.

Tamara
 

[ppearl214]

Tamara,

this is great! thanks for sharing.

I can't find my notes, but CPT code for "sterotactic radiotherapy/radiosurgery"... many need this for checking into AN radio-treatments (ie: Cyberknife, Gammaknife, etc).

Thanks again,
Phyl

[Jim Scott]

Knowing the proper insurance codes is very helpful to patients.  However, this should really be the responsibility of the doctor's or hospital's billing office.  My surgeon, anesthesiologist and the hospital all directly submitted the bills associated with my surgery to the insurance company and they were all paid in a timely manner.  I assume these folks used the proper coding, which should be a function of their position (insurance billing). 

I realize this isn't always the case.  In the past, my wife has had to fight with Blue Cross (and her physician's office help) because the insurance company rejected a claim based on an erroneous code being used.  It was always straightened out but the hassle was annoying.  Having someone such as Tamara who knows the proper codes for billing is a real asset that we can all appreciate.

Thanks, Tamara. 

Jim

[Sheryl]

As Jim says - erroneous codes can cause a huge hassle - one incorrect digit can take months to straighten out.  Medical office billing is a specialty and professionals in the field have to keep up with ever-changing rules and regulations.  Anyone can look up CPT and ICD-9 codes but, if the incorrect one is chosen, the doctor can lose income and the patient can end up being billed for a larger amount or having their entire claim rejected.  I feel bad for the people (and not just the elderly) who do not know how their insurance works and what is covered - they just take it for granted that the bill they received is correct and will pay it. 
Sheryl

[ppearl214]

Hi all, there were continued discussions here delving into hearing devices (ie: Transear and BAHA). The posts regarding insurance coverage and these devices have been moved to their own thread to ensure the discussion flow, but not to take away from this original post.  Please look in the Insurance Forum, under BAHA/Transear and Insurance coverage.  Thanks! Phyl