# office visit AND IV hydration



## rroblin (Mar 15, 2012)

I work specifically with ICD-9 codes only, so this is out of my field of expertise.  A patient seeing his PCP, in addition to the reg office visit, requires IV hydration over 3-4 hr duration. This is being administered in the office. So- we have an office visit AND in house IV administration over 3-4 hrs. Please help with any ideas of appropriate coding.


----------



## mack80 (Mar 15, 2012)

*Hydration with E/M*

See the parenthetical guidelines in the CPT book under Hydration, Therapeutic, Prophylactic, Diagnostic Injections and Infusions etc, just prior to 96360 for IV infusion for hydration.  You can bill a separate E/M code with appropriate modifier if a significant, separately identifiable office or other outpatient E/M service is documented as performed.  This is a CCI edit - the E/M code is a subset to the IV hydration, but is modifier eligible (if appropriately documented).  
If a separate E/M service is documented, you would bill the appropriate E/M level with the correct modifier (for example) 99212-25, then 96360 x 1 unit for the 1st hour of IV hydration, with 96361 x 2 (additional 2 hours, total of 3) or 96361 x 3 (additional 3 hours, total of 4) depending on the time documented in the records.


----------



## rroblin (Mar 19, 2012)

*IV hydration*

Thank you so much for your response.  Not having worked with CPT codes since my CPC exam 4 yrs ago, I am quite in the dark.

Robin


----------



## khc123 (Nov 12, 2012)

*Further clarification*



mack80 said:


> See the parenthetical guidelines in the CPT book under Hydration, Therapeutic, Prophylactic, Diagnostic Injections and Infusions etc, just prior to 96360 for IV infusion for hydration.  You can bill a separate E/M code with appropriate modifier if a significant, separately identifiable office or other outpatient E/M service is documented as performed.  This is a CCI edit - the E/M code is a subset to the IV hydration, but is modifier eligible (if appropriately documented).
> If a separate E/M service is documented, you would bill the appropriate E/M level with the correct modifier (for example) 99212-25, then 96360 x 1 unit for the 1st hour of IV hydration, with 96361 x 2 (additional 2 hours, total of 3) or 96361 x 3 (additional 3 hours, total of 4) depending on the time documented in the records.



Can you also bill 36000 for Needle insertion?
I do not bill for the normal saline but have been told it is in fact billable (ie:  J7030) do you know if this is correct?


----------

