# Hydration Infusion



## NESmith

If a patient was given 2L Ringers Lactate in the left arm and the documentation states that the IV was started around and 11:00 A.M. and d/c'd aaround 12:30 P.M. Is it appropriate to bill 96360 & 96361? Thanks for your help


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## sbicknell

You cant really code IV time based on "around".  But let's say time is documented as an absolute 1100 start and an absolute stop at 1230. 

Then yes, you would code 96360 for the 1st hour and 96361 for an additional hour. He gets to code this additional hour only because he met the defined time of 60 minutes 1/2 way (had 30 minutes). 

If time had been 1100 to 1220 then all he would get would be the 96360. He did not meet the next hour 1/2 way (had only 20 min and needed 30 minutes). The left-over 20 minutes is just lost time and not codable


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## denarh40

My understanding is that time has to be at least 31 minutes past the initial hour to bill for 96361.  Will you please state where you got that information? 

Thanks!
Dena CPC


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## mitchellde

in order to bill hydration you have to have a minimum of 31 continuous minutes spent in hydration alone, after the first hour then to bill the next hour it is a minimum of 30 minutes since it is continuous you have already met the 31 minute minimum.


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## Mojo

I agree with Dena. Per CPT: Report 96361 for hydration infusion intervals of greater than 30 minutes beyond 1 hour increments. 

If hydration is the only infusion/injection service documented with a start time of 1100 and a stop time of 1230, only 96360 is coded.


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## mcged

Can you bill J7120 (Lactate Ringers) along with 96360 & 96361 or is this incuded in 96360/96361?  I'm thinking it is not separately billable.  The patient was given 1000ml of normal saline and infused with 500ml of Lactate Ringers solution. Total time was 2 hours.


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## Mojo

mcged said:


> Can you bill J7120 (Lactate Ringers) along with 96360 & 96361 or is this incuded in 96360/96361?  I'm thinking it is not separately billable.  The patient was given 1000ml of normal saline and infused with 500ml of Lactate Ringers solution. Total time was 2 hours.



Yes, if the physician practice purchased the fluids, the HCPCS codes can be reported with the infusion codes. July 2011 Coding Edge has an article, Eliminate Infusion Confusion, that addresses drugs/substances. Also, a liter of NS has a HCPCS Level II code, J7030.


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## mcged

Thank you for this information and i will reference the July 2011 article.


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