You decide how influential these new codes will be for your practice CPT 2005 has beefed up its Category III section. Check out this rundown of the new additions to see if your practice sees enough of these patients that you should clip and save this list.
The addition of 0062T and 0063T for IDET (intradiscal electrothermal therapy) is a follow-up to their implementations July 1, 2004. Spine and neurosurgeons perform most IDET procedures, but some highly trained pain specialists may also conduct the cases.
Category III codes represent new or emerging technology or services. If a Category III code exists, you should report it instead of an unlisted-procedure code if possible. Some anesthesia or pain management coders report Category III codes, but others don't need them very often. "We don't like to use Category III codes because of the extra documentation involved with them," says Debbie Gulledge, CPC, with Anesthesia Associates of Rockhill in Charlotte, N.C. "Fortunately, we can usually report a code that isn't 'unlisted' instead of using Category III codes."