Question

which of the following cpt codes would be assigned for a radiologic examination of the chest, frontal and lateral, with flouroscopy?

a) 71048
b) 71046
c) 76000
d) 71046, 76000

Explanation:

Identify the clinical procedure components

The procedure described is a radiologic examination of the chest, frontal and lateral views, with fluoroscopy.

Analyze the candidate CPT codes

• 71046: Radiologic examination, chest; 2 views (typically frontal and lateral).
• 71048: Radiologic examination, chest; 4 or more views.
• 76000: Fluoroscopy (separate procedure), up to 1 hour.
• 71046 with fluoroscopy: According to CPT coding guidelines, fluoroscopy is bundled into the chest X-ray code when performed together, or represented by a specific combination code if available. However, CPT code 71046 does not include fluoroscopy. Under standard coding guidelines, when fluoroscopy is performed in conjunction with a chest X-ray, both the chest X-ray (71046) and the fluoroscopy (76000) are reported separately because fluoroscopy is not inherently bundled into the basic 2-view chest X-ray code series (71045-71048).

Determine the correct code combination

Therefore, both CPT codes 71046 (for the 2-view chest X-ray) and 76000 (for the fluoroscopy) must be assigned to fully describe the procedure.

Answer:

• A) 71048
• B) 71046
• C) 76000
• D) 71046, 76000 (Correct answer)