We took a bit of a break on these, but we're back now and decoding more of the CPT code book!
You may have noticed that some of the CPT codes have a symbol in front of the code number, but do you know what those symbols are for? There is a small key at the bottom of almost every page, as well as a longer explanation in the Introduction at the front of the book, but let's focus on one of the more common symbols - the #.
When you see # in front of a code, it means that code is out of sequence. The CPT codes are usually listed in numerical order (first 1, then 2, then 3, and so on!), but sometimes a code was split into two or more options or a completely new code was added, and the next number for where it needs to go has already been assigned to something else. An unused number from somewhere else in the chapter will be assigned for the new code, but it will actually be listed where it would make most sense in context rather than in numerical order.
For example, codes 27047, 27048, and 27049 were assigned for tumor excisions of specific different depths in the skin or soft tissue of the pelvis and hip. Then someone decided the size of the excision needed to be accounted for as well. Each of those original three codes is for an excision under 5 cm in size. But what about the excisions that are 5 cm or larger? Codes 27043, 27045, and 27059 were conscripted for this purpose. So now we see these listed in the code book in this order:
27047
# 27043
27048
# 27045
27049
# 27059
What if you already have the code, and you just need to make sure the text matches what you're using it for? If you're starting with the code rather than the condition, you don't need to know in advance whether it was resequenced! You'll start off looking in the numerical order, and the code book will tell you where to look next.
For instance, if you look up 27059, you'll find this message underneath 27057:
"27059 Code is out of numerical sequence. See 27041-27052"
This tells you that it's been moved to somewhere within that code range, so you'll start at 27041 and work toward 27052, looking for 27059. Or if it's more convenient, I suppose you could start at 27052 and work backward toward 27041!