A Guide to Screening and Diagnostic Colonoscopies in GI Billing
A screening colonoscopy is a preventive test done for people who have no symptoms but meet the recommended screening guidelines. On the contrary, a diagnostic colonoscopy is done because there's already something to investigate such as a symptom which is already on the chart. That difference decides which codes to apply and how Medicare handles cost-sharing. Get it wrong and the claim comes back denied. Where this gets messy is when a screening colonoscopy turns into something else, mid-procedure, a biopsy or a polyp removal. CMS has written specific rules for exactly that situation. Practices that skip over them tend to create problems that are easy to avoid. This is where the need for outsourced gastroenterology billing services becomes essential. What is a Screening Colonoscopy? A screening colonoscopy exists to catch colorectal cancer before anything comes into the picture. The process of colorectal cancer screening starts at the age of 45 for average-risk adults. However, the...