AAPC Exam CPC Topic 3 Question 39 Discussion

Actual exam question for AAPC's CPC exam

Question #: 39
Topic #: 3

Mr. Roland has difficulty breathing and congestion with a productive cough. The physician takes frontal and lateral view chest X-rays in the office (the equipment is owned by the physician group). The physician reads the X-rays and determines a diagnosis of walking pneumoni

a. The physician's interpretation is placed in the patient's chart.

How does the physician bill for the chest X-ray?

A71046-26

B71046-26-TC

C71046-TC

D71046

Show Suggested Answer

Suggested Answer: D

For a physician who owns the equipment and interprets the chest X-rays (both frontal and lateral views), code 71046 is used. This code includes both the technical and professional components, as the equipment is owned by the physician group and the physician also provides the interpretation.

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by Chan at Nov 17, 2024, 08:05 PM

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Ellsworth

21 days ago

I'm going to have to go with option B as well. The -26 and -TC modifiers are crucial in ensuring the physician gets properly reimbursed for their services.

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1 months ago

Definitely go with option B. The -26 modifier indicates the professional component, and the -TC modifier indicates the technical component. This ensures the physician gets paid for both the interpretation and the technical aspect of the X-ray.

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