ASGE members may submit coding inquiries electronically to codingquestions@asge.org. When submitting a question, please allow at least three business days for a response. When submitting inquiries, please include the ASGE member’s name and ID number. Only questions will be accepted and not reports. Below is our featured Coding Question of the Month that could be beneficial to your practice.
Question
We have a patient who had a screening colonoscopy in September 2016. No biopsy samples were taken, and no polyps were removed. The patient had a redundant colon, so the provider wants to bring her back in seven years instead of ten. Can this be billed as a screening with dx Q43? Possibly G0105 with Q43.2?
Answer
A redundant colon is an abnormally long colon, which can also have additional loops or twists. Other names for a redundant colon include tortuous colon or elongated colon. The correct code would be Q43.2 (other congenital functional disorders of the colon). It can be considered an incidental finding, but it also can be a cause of an incomplete procedure. It is not considered a reason for diagnostic colonoscopy unless the patient is symptomatic from this condition; in that case, you would use the symptoms, which are usually abdominal pain and a change in bowel habits. I would recommend that you verify eligibility to make sure this condition is covered by the patient’s payer.