Question: I want to be sure we are capturing all pass-throughs for our cardiac catheterizations. The only pass-throughs we come up with right now are for the vaso-seal and the isovue. The catheterization department tells me that the sheath and catheters they use during the procedure do not qualify for pass-though payment. Does this sound correct?
Ohio Subscriber
Answer: HCFA Memo A-01-41 describes the new categories of pass-throughs. You can access it at http://www.hcfa.gov/pubforms/transmit/A0141.pdf. Here are two paragraphs from the memo that seem to address your question: "Reporting of multiple categories: For items with multiple component devices that fall in more than one category (e.g., kits or systems other than those explicitly identified in the long descriptors), hospitals should code the appropriate category separately for each component. For example, the 'Rotablator Rotational Angioplasty System (with catheter and advancer)' consists of both a catheter as well as an advancer/sheath. Report category C1724 for the catheter and C1894 for the advancer/sheath."
Also, for items packaged as kits that contain a catheter and an introducer, report both categories. For example, the "Clinicath 16G Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) Dual-Lumen PolyFlow Polyurethane" contains a catheter and an introducer. To bill appropriately for this item, report category C1751 for the catheter and C1894 for the introducer.
-- Answers to "Reader Questions" and "You Be the Expert" were provided by Caral Edelberg, CPC, CCS-P, president of Medical Management Resources Inc. of Jacksonville, Fla.; John Turner, MD, FACEP, medical director for coding and documentation at TeamHealth Inc. of Knoxville, Tenn.; Kathy Guida, CPC, Sharp Grossmont Hospital; Ruthie Burden, CCS, CPC, CPAR, St. Joseph's Hospital, Augusta, Ga.; Mimi Tytko, RHIT, Ellis Hospital, Schenectady, N.Y.; and Jim Murdy, controller, Wheeling Hospital Inc.,W.Va.
