# Blood Transfusions



## krssy70 (Jul 22, 2010)

Hello,

Regarding CPT 36430 - if 2 units of blood is given, can this code be billed with 2 units.

Any help is appreciated.
Thank you,
Kristen


----------



## RebeccaWoodward* (Jul 22, 2010)

Per CPT Assistant (March 2001) you should only report one time, per transfusion, regardless of how many units are administered.


----------



## krssy70 (Jul 22, 2010)

Thank you,

I did find the article, but is that still effective and has not had any changes? Because we have always billed this code with units, and it has never been questioned. Now we are being questioned. Doesn't make sense, all of a sudden. Do you know of any recent articles for this.

Thanks,


----------



## RebeccaWoodward* (Jul 22, 2010)

CMS' MUE edits show 1 per day

36430=	1


http://www.cms.gov/NationalCorrectCodInitEd/08_MUE.asp#TopOfPage


----------



## krssy70 (Jul 22, 2010)

Yes, it does show a 1 in the column, but is there any article or documentation that I can obtain that says only one unit can be billed, other than the article from 2001. 

Thanks again,


----------



## RebeccaWoodward* (Jul 22, 2010)

Sure...this is actually a *RAC* issue

2009 article:

Connolly Healthcare, the RAC for Region C, lists blood transfusions as one of its initial “Approved Issues.” Their description of the issue begins “CPT codes *36430*, 36440, 36450 and 36444 (excluding claims with any modifiers) *should be billed as one (1) per session.”*

http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/blog/will-rac-“identified-issues”-identify-hcpcscpt-codes

*-OIG-*2010

*CMS’s Manual, chapter 4, section 231.8, states that providers should bill for blood transfusion services (HCPCS code 36430) on a per service basis. Medicare will pay the provider for transfusing blood products once per day, regardless of the number or volume of different blood products transfused*.

http://oig.hhs.gov/oas/reports/region3/31010004.pdf


Journal of Health Care Compliance (2004)

CPT Assistant, March 2001, page 10 indicates: “From a CPT coding perspective, code 36430, Transfusion, blood or blood components, should be reported only one time per transfusion, regardless of how many units
are administered.” Given the large number of transfusion services provided on an outpatient basis throughout the country, the financial impact of misreporting these services can be considerable.

http://www.ingenix.com/content/attachments/JHCC_9_10_04_Stegman.pdf


----------



## krssy70 (Jul 22, 2010)

Thank you very much, that is very helpful.


----------



## RebeccaWoodward* (Jul 22, 2010)

Happy to help!


----------



## cskreger (Nov 11, 2010)

The facility i work at I code out the hospital charges, am i allowed to bill code 36430???? One of my phycisians did it but how do i bill for the charges? 

Thanks in Advance,
Chancie S Kreger, CPC-A


----------



## krssy70 (Nov 17, 2010)

Yes you may. We also bill it as a facility charge. But you can only bill 1 unit as I have learned.


----------



## joyceprice (Oct 29, 2015)

Can I bill 36430 if the nurse performed the service and not a physician?


----------

