Ear Hairs

Question:

If a patient comes in with ear pain due to loose ear hairs in the ear and the provider removes the hairs with alligator forceps, can it be billed as a foreign body removal?

Answer:

Ear hair(s) are not considered foreign bodies as they are a natural protectant to the inner ear and function to work with earwax to keep the canal clean and debris away from the eardrum.

As such, even though the hair is loose or dislodged, there is not a reportable CPT code for this. The work for removing the hairs is Included in the work for the E/M service, assuming there was a medical necessity for an E/M service (e.g., evaluation of ear pain).

*This response is based on the best information available as of 12/19/24.