CPT code 45378: Diagnostic colonoscopy billing guide (2026)
CPT code 45378 is the base code for a diagnostic flexible colonoscopy — a colonoscopy performed because of symptoms, an abnormal test result, or follow-up, rather than as a preventive screening. Getting the code right means understanding the descriptor and the billing context around it: the 2026 fee schedule, RVU breakdown, G-code alternatives for Medicare […]
CPT Code 00300: Anesthesia for head, neck, and posterior trunk
CPT Code 00300, as defined by the American Medical Association’s CPT code set, covers anesthesia for procedures on the integumentary system, muscles, and nerves of the head, neck, and posterior trunk not otherwise specified. This reference covers the official descriptor, base unit value, and applicable modifiers. In addition, it covers the 2026 fee schedule context, […]
CPT Code 99221: Initial hospital inpatient and observation care
CPT Code 99221 is the entry-level code in the initial hospital inpatient or observation care series, billed for a patient’s first day of a hospital stay when medical decision making is straightforward or low, or when total time reaches 40 minutes. Selecting the correct level requires understanding both the MDM thresholds and the 2023 AMA […]
CPT Code 11102: Tangential skin biopsy billing guide
CPT Code 11102 bills a tangential (shave) biopsy of a single skin lesion, removing the epidermis and a portion of the dermis without cutting into subcutaneous fat. It replaced the deleted code 11100 in 2019 as part of a six-code AMA restructuring of skin biopsy billing. Claim denials for this code usually come down to […]
CPT Code 97039: Unlisted modality, constant attendance billing guide
CPT Code 97039 is an unlisted physical medicine modality code, billed when a therapeutic modality requires constant provider attendance but has no dedicated CPT code of its own. The official descriptor requires specifying the modality type and the time in attendance, and most claim denials trace back to one of those two elements missing from […]
CPT Code 98943: Chiropractic manipulative treatment, extraspinal
CPT Code 98943 covers chiropractic manipulative treatment (CMT) applied to one or more extraspinal regions: any area outside the spine, including the head/neck (non-spinal), rib cage, abdomen, upper extremities, and lower extremities. CPT 98940 through 98942 count spinal regions instead. By contrast, CPT Code 98943 applies once per encounter whenever at least one extraspinal region […]
CPT Code 11450: Axillary hidradenitis excision billing guide
CPT Code 11450 is the code for excision of skin and subcutaneous tissue for hidradenitis in the axillary region, with simple or intermediate repair included. It is the code dermatologists and surgeons use when a patient with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) needs surgical excision after conservative treatment has failed. HS affects roughly 1% of the population […]
CPT Code 11732: Nail avulsion add-on billing guide
CPT Code 11732 is the add-on code for avulsion of nail plate, partial or complete, simple, each additional nail plate beyond the first. It’s always billed alongside primary code 11730 and never reported on its own. The American Medical Association (AMA) confirms that add-on codes like 11732 are always listed in conjunction with their primary […]
CPT Code 11603: Excision of malignant lesion, trunk, arms or legs
CPT Code 11603 covers excision of a malignant lesion on the trunk, arms, or legs where the excised diameter, including the narrowest margin, measures 2.1 to 3.0 centimeters. Wrong lesion measurement is the most common reason claims for this code get denied or audited. Coders often record the lesion diameter alone and forget to add […]
CPT Code 11750: Excision of nail and nail matrix
CPT Code 11750 covers excision of nail and nail matrix, partial or complete, for permanent removal, with modifiers and Medicare rates.