Anesthesia Coding Alert
Bilateral Lumbar Facet Injections
New York Subscriber
Answer: Your scenario describes two levels of injections (L3-L4 and L4-L5), bilaterally. The correct way to code the procedure would be 64475-RT (injection, anesthetic agent and/or steroid, paravertebral facet joint or facet joint nerve; lumbar or sacral, single level) (right side), 64475-50-LT (bilateral procedure) (left side), and 64476 ( lumbar or sacral, each additional level [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) twice to show injections on both the right and left sides.
Anesthesia Coding Alert
- Practices Hit Hard by New Subsection, Deletions and Revisions
Released in November 2001, the 2002 version of CPT includes many changes that affect [...] - Use 01996 for Management of Epidural Catheters Unless E/M Requirements Fulfilled
Pain-management physicians are sometimes called in to manage postoperative patients who received an epidural catheter [...] - You Be the Coder:
MAC for LESI
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - Patient-Controlled Anesthesia Is Part of E/M
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) lists billing Medicare for patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) as one [...] - CPT 2002 Adds New Trigger-Point Injection Codes, Revisions
CPT 2002 revised 20550, which should no longer be used to report trigger-point injections. Instead, [...] - Use Specific Nerve Destroyed as Key to Radiofrequency Coding
" Increasingly, pain specialists use radiofrequency (RF) to treat patients with intractable lower back pain. [...] - News Brief:
CCI 7.3 Deletes Version 7.2 Fluoroscopy Edit
Version 7.3 of the Correct Coding Initiative deleted a comprehensive edit that was introduced three [...] - Reader Question:
Diskography Versus Diskograms
Question: I am having trouble with workers'-compensation and auto-insurance companies regarding diskogram reimbursement. They are [...] - Reader Question:
Use Modifier -22 for Altered Surgical Fields
Question: I have heard that modifier -60 (altered surgical fields) should no longer be used. [...] - Reader Question:
Radiological Report for Epidurograms
Question: Does a physician have to write a separate report for an epidurogram?
South Carolina Subscriber [...] - Reader Question:
Bilateral Lumbar Facet Injections
Question: How should I bill Medicare to get full payment for lumbar facet block injections [...] - Learn APLD Basics To Reap Benefits
Automated percutaneous lumbar diskectomy (APLD) or laser-assisted disk compression is a new procedure for treating [...] - Update:
CCI Edits Bundle 76005 Incorrectly
A recent round of CCI edits bundled 76005 (fluoroscopic guidance and localization of needle or [...] - Reader Question:
Split Time for Anesthesia
Question: Our anesthesiologists often split time in surgery. One of our anesthesiologists spent two hours [...] - Reader Question:
Reimbursement for Emergency Services
Question: Our practice has difficulty getting paid by Medicare and other carriers for emergencies that [...] - Reader Question:
Discontinued Procedure
Question: A patient was given general anesthesia in preparation for an open-heart procedure. Due to [...] - Reader Question:
MAC for Caudal Epidural Blocks
Question: Which anesthesia code and modifier should I use for monitored anesthesia care (MAC) for [...]
