Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Our Medicare carrier in Florida considers intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) an experimental/investigational procedure and wont pay for it. Theres no CPT code. How should we code this procedure?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: Even though many carriers consider IDET an experimental procedure, HCFA and the AMA say that the correct code for this procedure is 64999 (unlisted procedure, nervous system). However, which codes will be accepted for reimbursement varies with the carrier so check before you bill. Some carriers have accepted several other codes in the past, including 62292 (injection procedure for chemonucleolysis, including diskography, intervertebral disk, single or multiple levels, lumbar), 76000 (fluoroscopy [separate procedure], up to one hour physician time, other than 71023 or 71034 [e.g., cardiac fluoroscopy]) or 76001 (fluoroscopy, physician time more than one hour, assisting a non-radiologic physician [e.g., nephrostolithotomy, ERCP, bronchoscopy, transbronchial biopsy]). Some Medicare carriers will accept A9270 (non-covered item or service) for the procedure, but check again because its a jurisdictional code.