Welcome to our website dedicated to In-Office Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release (IOECTR) and Office-Based Surgery (OBS) reimbursement. The focus of this site is to provide a forum for sharing set up and reimbursement information on office-based surgical procedures and in particular endoscopic procedures of the hand and wrist. The advice will be applicable to any office-based surgery including cataract surgery, foot surgery and other orthopedic procedures where there is currently no Site of Service Differential (SOSD), and they are considered “facility-only” procedures. Click here for a synopsis of this reimbursement issue. This website was last updated in January 2022.
I will be introducing topics as Posts on the right and many of these will include downloadable documents. You can always use the SEARCH feature on the right to find documents by keyword or scan by category.
To begin I would download the:
- IOECTR Reimbursement Checklist. (one page)
- The Negotiation Decision Tree (Graphic and SS)
- Step-by-Step Negotiation Spreadsheet.
- One-page graphics: IOECTR Project Overview; IOECTR Issues; IOECTR List Detail
- The free Reimbursement Guidebook
We also will be helping with reimbursement for two additional procedures:
- Endoscopic Gastrocnemius Release (EGR)
- Endoscopic Plantar Fasciitis Release (EPFR).
Both procedures above can be performed with the same equipment but EGR must be reported with an unlisted CPT code, 29999. Click on the Other Procedures TAB for information on how to negotiate reimbursement for an unlisted code.
The graphics provide a wealth of information condensed to one page. For those wanting more detailed information, I recommend the Guidebook above. We will also be collecting research articles that support the benefits, efficacy, and safety of WALANT, endoscopic carpal tunnel surgery, and office-based surgery in general.
Our goal is to make the difficult and technical subject of fair reimbursement for office-based surgeries as simple and straightforward as possible.
Hold Harmless Statement
The coding and reimbursement guidelines on this website are provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to represent the only, or necessarily the best, coding advice for the situations discussed but rather represents an approach, view, statement, or opinion that may be helpful to persons responsible for coding and billing in a medical clinic.
The statements made in this publication should not be construed as policy or procedure, nor as standards of care. Codes and policies change all the time; while every effort was made to ensure accuracy, the author makes no representations and/or warranties, express or implied, regarding the accuracy of the information contained on this website and disclaims any liability or responsibility for any consequences resulting from or otherwise related to any use of, or reliance on, this website.
Jeffrey Restuccio, CPC, COC, MBA
Memphis TN
(901) 517-1705