Dermatology Coding Alert

Question: The surgeon in our practice usually performs a biopsy of the lesion prior to doing the Mohs, either because he does not have a biopsy report or he's not sure of the type of the patient's lesion. How do I bill for this frozen section prior to Mohs?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: Mohs micrographic surgery requires a single physician to act as the surgeon and the pathologist. For the frozen section, use 88331 (Pathology consultation during surgery; first tissue block, with frozen section[s], single specimen) with modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service) to distinguish from the subsequent Mohs.

Along with it, you should report diagnostic [...]

- Published on 2011-12-13