Anesthesia Coding Alert

Keep these details in mind to keep your claims on track

If your pain management specialist offers IDET treatments (also known as electrothermal annuloplasty), keep in mind these factors from Marvel J. Hammer, RN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-PM, CHCO, owner of the Denver firm MJH Consulting:

• The new IDET codes (22526 and 22527) and the Category III IDET codes (0062T and 0063T) apply to unilateral and bilateral procedures. Report a single billing unit of the appropriate code whether your physician inserts a single or bilateral catheter to treat a single disc.

• Add-on code 22527 is a "one or more levels" code, which means you only report it once -- no matter how many additional levels your physician treats. Example: If your physician performs IDET on L3-L4 and L4-L5, you should report 22526 and 22527 once each. If your specialist performs the service on three levels (L3-L4, L4-L5 and L5-S1), you still only report each code one time.

• Note the 8 symbol in front of the new IDET codes, indicating that these codes include moderate (conscious) sedation services by the performing provider. Reporting moderate sedation codes 99143-99145 with IDET codes 22526 and 22527 is incorrect. See CPT's Appendix G for more information.

Note: Previous editions of HCPCS included two codes for IDET procedures (S2370 and S2371). HCPCS deleted these codes effective Sept. 30, 2004, after the new Category III codes became effective July 1, 2004. The only codes now available to report an electrothermal annuloplasty (IDET procedure) are the new Category I CPT codes 22526 and 22527.