Urology Coding and Reimbursement Podcast

October 23, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter take on two questions that came in over the past week. First, quantitative urinalysis: the expanded, stack-coded urine test panels that some practices are starting to use in place of a standard UA. Mark explains why that pattern looks a lot like the early days of PCR testing, why payers are already issuing diagnosis-based medical n...

October 16, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter share what they heard at the October meeting of the Urology Pharma and Tech Pioneer (UPTP) group—a monthly forum where urology practices from around the country compare notes on new technology, payer behavior, and office workflows. They discuss XIAFLEX acquisition costs now running above ASP plus six and how practices are moving aw...

October 9, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter tackle two areas where the details payers are watching can make or break payment. First, they look at why billing for injected and instilled drugs has become more complex: biosimilars that carry their own Q codes and NDCs, compounded drugs such as interferon being used during the BCG shortage, and rising acquisition costs that Medic...

September 25, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter break down the 2026 prostate biopsy coding changes and the documentation details that determine which code should be used. They review transrectal versus transperineal approaches, ultrasound-guided versus MRI-fusion biopsies, systematic versus targeted sampling, and when the add-on code for additional targeted lesions may apply....

September 11, 2026  In this episode, Scott, Mark, Dr. Ray Painter, and special guest Marianne DeSciose take a closer look at the growing number of RAC audits, UPIC reviews, and medical record requests facing urology practices. They discuss current areas of scrutiny, including sacral neuromodulation, UTI PCR testing, newer technologies, and high-dollar procedures, while emphasizing the importance o...

September 11, 2026  In this episode, Scott and Mark Painter are joined by Dr. John Lin to tackle several practical coding and reimbursement questions from the urology community. They discuss whether there is a right number of CPT codes to include on a prior authorization, when catheter and other DME supply A-codes can—or cannot—be separately billed, and how those rules apply to Foley catheter chan...

September 4, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, Dr. Ray Painter, and special guest Marinne DeSciose take a deeper look at the sharp increase in payer downcoding and the growing workload it creates for urology practices. They discuss how downcoded E/M claims can quietly reduce revenue, why these adjustments may not show up clearly in traditional AR reports, and how practices can build workflows to...

August 28, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter review where telehealth stands today and why it is becoming an essential part of the future of urology care. They discuss Medicare’s current rules for audio-visual and audio-only visits through 2027, documentation requirements, place-of-service rules, telehealth for hospitalized patients, and the importance of state licensure. The t...

August 21, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter revisit the coding and documentation requirements for cystoscopic bladder tumor treatment. They discuss why tumor size—not the size of the resection bed—drives code selection, how multiple tumors are handled, and why documenting the exact bladder location is increasingly important for diagnosis coding. The team also explains when to...

August 14, 2026 In this episode, Scott and Mark Painter revisit ABNs and the growing importance of collecting directly from patients as more financial responsibility shifts away from payers. They discuss when ABNs are appropriate, cash-pay options, co-pays, deductibles, co-insurance, surgical deposits, and the value of collecting before services are rendered. The conversation also explores how pra...

August 7, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter answer three reimbursement questions involving common—but increasingly scrutinized—coding situations. First, they discuss when a urologist can separately bill the professional component of a radiologic service such as retrograde urography on the same day as an E/M service, including the documentation requirements and potential confli...

July 31, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter answer three detailed listener questions. First, they discuss whether an E/M service can be billed when a urologist evaluates a patient on the hospital floor and then decides to take the patient to the operating room for stone treatment or stent placement. Next, they examine payer denials involving laparoscopic radical prostatectomy w...

July 24, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter examine a major shift in Medicare’s approach to coding UTI PCR testing. The discussion explains why reimbursement may now depend on the number of testing kits, methodologies, or procedures used—not simply the number of organisms reported—and what practices should review with their laboratory partners. The team also addresses denials,...

July 17, 2026 In this episode, Scott and Mark Painter provide their initial analysis of CMS's proposed 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule and highlight the changes most likely to impact urology practices. The discussion covers the proposed conversion factor reduction, a significant new proposal to apply the multiple procedure payment reduction to E/M services billed with modifier 25, change...

July 10, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter break down CMS’s latest updates to facility reimbursement for kidney stone procedures, including the revised C9761 code, the new C8014 code, and the payment implications for hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. The discussion explains how suction-integrated ureteroscopes and suction-enabled access sheaths are now reimbursed, why...

June 26, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter continue their discussion on buy-and-bill drugs, using ZUSDURI® as a case study to explore the clinical, operational, and reimbursement challenges facing urology practices. The conversation covers prior authorizations, payer eligibility checks, documentation requirements, medical record reviews, RAC audits, and strategies for successf...

June 19, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter tackle three challenging reimbursement scenarios submitted by listeners: Medicare denials for category III code 0816T, handling patient payments when claims are denied for timely filing or missing prior authorizations, and the ongoing complexities of billing urodynamics studies in a group practice setting. The discussion explores why...

June 12, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, Dr. Ray Painter, and special guest Marianne DeSciose discuss the growing wave of payer scrutiny impacting urology practices, including automatic E/M downcoding, stealth denials, medical record requests, takebacks, and RAC-style reviews. Drawing on real-world experiences from hundreds of recently identified downcoded claims, the team shares practical stra...

June 5, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter provide an important update on the evolving C9761 reimbursement landscape, including CMS’s decision to revise the code description and introduce a new HCPCS code for suction-enabled ureteral access sheaths. The discussion explores what these changes could mean for ASCs, HOPDs, and physicians involved in stone management. The team also...

May 22, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter revisit ureteral stent removal and replacement coding after listener feedback highlighted the need for additional clarification on when cystoscopic codes versus fluoroscopic exchange codes apply. The discussion then shifts to emerging RAC audits targeting prostate artery embolization (PAE) claims involving CPT codes 37242 and 37243, em...

May 15, 2026 In this special live episode from the AUA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Scott, Mark, and Ray Painter share highlights from the AUA Innovation Nexus program, where emerging companies, investors, and industry leaders are working to bring new urology technologies to market  . The discussion focuses on the growing importance of reimbursement strategy early in product development, th...

May 8, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter discuss the growing wave of innovation in urology and why reimbursement strategy must be part of the conversation from day one. Ahead of the AUA Innovation Nexus meeting in Washington, D.C., the team explores how new technologies move from concept to clinical adoption—and the reimbursement hurdles that can slow that process down. The di...

May 1, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter break down key differences between ureteral stent removal and replacement codes—50385, 50387, and 50688—highlighting how anatomy, access (internal vs. external), and the requirement for radiologic supervision drive proper code selection. They also tackle a growing issue with ICD-10 coding for bladder cancer, where the correct use of “hi...

April 24, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. Ray Painter break down the latest guidance on HCPCS code C9761 and the growing confusion around what qualifies for payment under this new technology APC. They walk through key interpretations from the AHA, AMA, and MACs, highlighting the critical distinction between steerable ureteral catheters, scopes, and access sheaths—and why that difference...

April 17, 2026 In this episode, Scott, Mark, and Dr. John Lin tackle a deceptively simple question: does it make sense to perform more complex procedures—like Optilume and other minimally invasive treatments—in the office setting? The discussion breaks down the three critical pillars every practice must evaluate—clinical fit, financial viability, and operational execution—while highlighting key fa...