Are Your Arteriogram Claims Getting Paid?

This article will make you a bilateral renal arteriogram medical billing pro. There are many code confusions with this increasingly common surgical procedure. Some payers will not pay a cent if you submit your medical billing with the wrong code combinations. However, doing medical billing for renal arteriograms can be quite simple.

There are two codes one should report when doing medical billing for a renal bilateral arteriogram. The current procedural terminology code 36245 should be reported twice. Then the Current Procedural Terminology code 75724-26 should be reported. Do not make the mistake in adding a G0275 to your claim because the renal arteriography already includes that service. If you do medical billing separately for this service, you will probably not get reimbursed for either one. The only time you would use G0275 in medical billings is if the doctor does a nonselective renal arteriogram during the surgery as a cardiac catheterization.

Remember your modifiers in medical billing. Modifiers can save payers and billers valuable time and effort. Different payers require different modifiers for a renal arteriogram done bilaterally. To be safe, you should report an LT and a RT modifier to each of the 36245 CPT codes. If you add a modifier 59 (distinct procedural service) as well, it might cause less confusion when payers examine the medical billing.

One important note to keep in mind when billing for a medical bilateral renal arteriogram is to omit the 75625 current procedural terminology code. It is not appropriate in this situation and should not be included in your medical billing. Make sure your medical documentation is iron clad and signed off on by the physician and you should be able to reap the rewards in the form of full reimbursements.

View all Articles by: Melissa Clark, CCS-P