10/30/2020

Billing for Absent Posterior Tibial Artery/ Dorsals Pedis Pulse

I have a simple question to clarify that is just an addendum to my recent question which is: A Patient has absent posterior tibial artery pulse to palpating on BOTH feet; Does this mean I can bill a Q8 ( equate to TWO CLASS B FINDINGS)?? “ A Medicare patient has an absent posterior tibial artery pulse on Both feet; this does Not count as TWO class B findings But an absent Dorsalis pedis pulse on one foot And an absent Posterior tibial pulse on the Other foot DOES and if these latter 2pulses are absent on the SAME foot it Does“

Regardless if it is the posterior tibial artery pulse or the dorsals pedis pulse, you may only count this once for class B findings to justify medical necessity for routine foot care. If the absent pulse is unilateral (one extremity) or bilateral (both extremities), it will only be counted towards meeting one of the required elements to justify need for routine foot care. If a patient only has evidence of one absent pulse (either posterior tibial artery pulse or dorsals pedis pulse),  it will only count once and advanced tropic changes would need to be documented to satisfy the documentation for billing the Q8 modifier.