Demystifying Radiation Oncology

Radiation oncology involves doctors who specialize in high energy ionizing radiation therapy to treat a wide variety of malignant cancers and some non-malignant conditions. It uses several distinct modalities such as teletherapy, brachytherapy, hyperthermia and stereotactic radiation. The American Cancer Society states that “Radiation therapy uses high-energy particles or waves, such as x-rays, gamma rays, electron beams, or protons, to destroy or damage cancer cells. Other names for radiation therapy are radiotherapy, irradiation, or x-ray therapy. Radiation therapy is one of the most common treatments for cancer. It’s often part of the treatment for certain types of cancer, such as cancers of the head and neck, bladder, lung, and Hodgkin disease. Many other cancers are also treated with radiation therapy.” Coding for radiation oncology often involves complex thinking to determine appropriate code assignment. In this session we will discuss that logic and what you should be considering when coding radiation.

Attendees will be able to:

• Utilize learned information to make logical decisions regarding coding for radiology services in both CPT and ICD-10 PCS.
• Apply rules for selecting the diagnosis and achieve medical necessity for reported services.
• Describe key CMS rules and regulations specific to radiation oncology procedures and apply this knowledge in their own facility.