Certified Professional Coder (CPC) Practice Test

A patient undergoes a barium enema followed by a colon x-ray. What is the correct code for this procedure?

1. 74270

2. 74270, 74176

3. 74270, 77052

4. 74270-26

The correct answer is: 74270

The correct code for a barium enema is 74270. This specific code refers to the procedure of using a barium contrast material in the rectum to visualize the colon via X-ray. It's essential to recognize that the barium enema itself is considered a standalone procedure. In this scenario, additional codes or modifiers are not necessary unless the procedure was part of a more comprehensive imaging strategy or if only a component of the service is being billed. The other choices introduce combinations or modifiers that either suggest additional procedures or use coding distinctions that may not apply in a straightforward barium enema scenario. For example: - The combination code suggests that an additional imaging procedure might have been performed, which isn’t specified in this context. - Using a modifier such as -26 indicates that only the professional component of the service is being billed, which is unnecessary if the entire procedure is being coded. - Another choice references a different imaging code that relates to a different type of imaging altogether. Thus, using simply 74270 best captures the procedure completed—adequately representing the barium enema without suggesting the need for other codes or components that do not apply here.