• This forum is currently in Read-Only mode and will not accept new threads, posts or responses.

    To Sign Up for the New Forum, click here: https://www.cco.us/cco-forum/

What does Separate Procedure mean?

Ruth Sheets

CCO Moderator
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Blitzer
PBC Student (CPC®)
CCO Club Member
CCO Support Staff
MTA Student
ICD-10-CM Student
PPM Student (CPPM®)
FBC Student (CPC-H®)
In my Carol S. Buck, 2012 Medical Coding book, the glossary definition is this:

Separate procedures: minor procedures that when done by themselves are coded as a procedure, but when performed at the same time as a major procedure are considered incidental and not coded separately.

Not sure that was plain English.

For example, 49320 Laparoscopy, abdomen, peritoneum, and omentum, diagnostic, with or without collection of specimen(s) by brushing or washing (separate procedure). If the person goes in for this procedure and has nothing else done then you can code it, because it is a separate procedure. If a person goes in for the 49320 laporoscopy and also has and unrelated surgery done, say a bunion repair, then you can code it, because the lapaoscopy is a separate procedure. But if the person has a 49320 laporoscopy and in the same surgical session that precedes a repair to the abdomen then you can't code the 49320 laporoscopy because it is not separate, but included in the repair.

This mystified me for the longest time, so I liked that you asked your question because I had the same one when I was a student.
 

Ruth Sheets

CCO Moderator
Staff member
Administrator
Moderator
Blitzer
PBC Student (CPC®)
CCO Club Member
CCO Support Staff
MTA Student
ICD-10-CM Student
PPM Student (CPPM®)
FBC Student (CPC-H®)
Laureen Jandroep covered this topic in the May 2015 Q&A Webinar. She explained the "separate procedure" is a convention used in CPT to designate procedures that are often times included in other larger procedures. It should remind us as coders to make sure it is not already bundled in another code we are reporting. She went on to show using a CCI edit checker on findacode.com to see if one code is bundled in another.
Join the CCO Club if you would like to have the full transcript, answer sheets, access to the recording, and a chance to earn AAPC CEUs. You will also get access to all the available monthly Q&A webinar resources when you join the CCO Club!
 
Top