january 2009

NEW HERNIA REPAIR CODES

The best potential for increasing revenue in 2009 comes in the form of a new set of CPT codes based on laparoscopic hernia repairs. This subsection has been expanded by six new codes all of which can be found on the ASC List of Approved Procedures with a reimbursement of $1529.28. The codes are as follow;

49652 — Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, ventral, umbilical, spigelian or epigastric hernia (includes mesh insertion, when performed);reducible

49653 — incarcerated or strangulated

49654 — Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, incisional hernia (includes mesh insertion, when performed); reducible

49655 — incarcerated or strangulated

49656 — Laparoscopy, surgical, repair, recurrent incisional hernia (includes mesh insertion, when performed); reducible

49657 — incarcerated or strangulated

Notice in the CPT code description the fact that “mesh insertion” is included as part of the overall procedure, so mesh insertion would not be additionally reported nor would lysis of adhesion per the parenthetical notes that follow each of these codes