Special Article for Plastic Surgeons

After two years of hard work by NF Midwest, last year we were able to get the American Medical Association (AMA) to approve two new temporary Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Codes. The creation of these codes expanded the definition of the different ways neurofibromas may be removed to include the high quantity removal of neurofibromas through electrosurgery or “destruction”. This procedure is often referred to as “electrodessication”. Previously, the removal of a large quantity of neurofibromas fell under less defined codes that often caused confusion. LEARN MORE

CPT codes are defined by the AMA and are used to identify what medical service or procedure was performed. Insurance companies need to know what procedure was used to determine payment. The CPT code provides this information.

The new CPT codes are temporary and in effect until the end of 2022 and will have to be used by surgeons who remove high quantities of dermal neurofibromas by electrosurgery. If more than 30 surgeons use the code, it will probably be made permanent.

We know that this can be quite confusing to most of us who are not in the medical field!

To help the NF community, NF Midwest, has received exclusive rights from the AMA to publish an article on our website from the AMA’s April 2016 edition of the CPT Assistant. This article summarizes these code changes for physicians. Please, share this article with your surgeons or prospective surgeons.

If you have a surgeon who uses the code or has interest in or questions about removing neurofibromas in high quantity through electrosurgery, please contact us.

MORE ON INSURANCE CODES FOR NF

Please, consider a small donation to help continue our work on the high quantity removal of dermal neurofibromas.

GET THE AMA ARTICLE FOR YOUR SURGEON.