An otolaryngologist removes a 3 cm deep facial tumor within muscle. What CPTcode is reported?
Correct Answer: A
21015 = Excision of facial tumor, deep (subfascial/intramuscular), 3 cm or less 21016 is for greater than 3 cm Tumor is exactly 3 cm, making 21015 correct.
CPC Exam Question 17
(A dermatologist excises abasal celllesion from an area of thescalp, measuring3.7 cm. This is closed with alayered repair. What CPTand ICD-10-CM codes are reported?)
Correct Answer: C
Basal cell carcinoma is amalignantskin neoplasm, so the excision is coded from11600-11646(malignant lesion excision), not11400-11446(benign lesion excision). The scalp is in the anatomic group that includesscalp/neck/hands/feet/genitalia, and the excised diameterincluding marginsdetermines the malignant excision code range. A size of3.7 cmfalls into the3.1-4.0 cmcategory, which corresponds to11624for malignant excision in that location group. Closure is separately reportable when it is anintermediate (layered) repair, so you add12032(intermediate repair, scalp/axillae/trunk/extremities;2.6-7.5 cm) when documentation supports layered closure beyond simple repair. Diagnosis coding should reflectbasal cell carcinoma of scalp /neck, which isC44.41. Options that use benign excision or benign diagnosis codes are incorrect for basal cell carcinoma.
CPC Exam Question 18
A woman who is 19 weeks pregnant is taken to the hospital from her doctor ' s office due to the detection of no fetal heartbeat and the death of the fetus. Due to the stage of pregnancy, labor is initiated, and the fetus is delivered. What CPTand ICD-10-CM codes are reported for the delivery of the fetus on the maternal record?
Correct Answer: B
Procedure Coding (CPT): 59821 - Induced abortion, by vaginal suppository, amniotic fluid injection, or other medical means Used for fetal demise at #14 weeks gestation Labor was medically induced and fetus delivered Diagnosis Coding (ICD-10-CM): O36.4XX0 - Maternal care for intrauterine death, not applicable or unspecified Correct maternal record diagnosis Z3A.19 - 19 weeks gestation Required per ICD-10-CM guidelines for obstetric encounters Why Other Options Are Incorrect: A / D - ICD-9 code (002.1) is invalid C - Missing required gestational age code
CPC Exam Question 19
(A patient is in the operating room for a planned partial meniscectomy of the temporomandibular joint. However, after general anesthesia was administered and the oral surgeon made the incision, the patient experienced respiratory distress. The oral surgeon decides tocancel the procedure. What CPT coding is reported for the oral surgeon?)
Correct Answer: C
Modifier selection for discontinued procedures depends onsettingandhow far the procedure progressed. In the CPT modifier framework,-53(Discontinued Procedure) is used when a physician terminates a procedure due toextenuating circumstances or those that threaten the well-being of the patientafter the procedure has begun. Here, anesthesia was given, the incision was made, and then respiratory distress occurred-clearly a patient safety issue requiring stopping the surgery. That matches modifier-53for the surgeon's claim. Modifier-74is afacilitymodifier (commonly used by ambulatory surgery centers/hospitals for discontinued outpatient procedures after anesthesia), not the surgeon's CPT modifier in the typical CPC context. Modifier-47indicates anesthesia by the surgeon, which is not the key fact here and does not represent discontinuation. Modifier-52is for reduced services when a service is partially reduced at the physician's discretion, not terminated for patient safety. Therefore, the oral surgeon reports21060-53.
CPC Exam Question 20
A patient presents with fever, cough, SOB, and a recent history of COVID-19. A PCR test was positive for COVID-19. The provider documents a final diagnosis of "pneumonia with history of COVID-19." What ICD-10-CM coding is reported?
Correct Answer: A
The provider documents history of COVID-19, not active COVID-19. Z86.16 = Personal history of COVID-19 J18.9 = Pneumonia, unspecified organism Codes U07.1 and U09.9 are for current or post-COVID conditions, which are not documented here. Therefore, A is correct.
