Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: One of our providers asked a question about the daily management codes associated with a continuous nerve block catheter. We are familiar with 01996 for management of continuous administration via epidural. What code could we use for the CNB daily management?

Rhode Island Subscriber

Answer: 01996 (Daily hospital management of epidural or subarachnoid continuous drug administration) is designed to be reported hand-in-hand with several catheter codes. You’ll choose the code based on the spinal region and whether the provider used imaging guidance. The options are:

• 62324 – Injection(s), including indwelling catheter placement, continuous infusion or intermittent bolus, of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s) (eg, anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution), not including neurolytic substances, interlaminar epidural or subarachnoid, cervical or thoracic; without imaging guidance
• 62325 – … with imaging guidance (ie, fluoroscopy or CT)
• 62326 – Injection(s), including indwelling catheter placement, continuous infusion or intermittent bolus, of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s) (eg, anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution), not including neurolytic substances, interlaminar epidural or subarachnoid, lumbar or sacral (caudal); without imaging guidance
• 62327 – … with imaging guidance (ie, fluoroscopy or CT).

Also remember: E/M codes are reported for the daily hospital management of continuous nerve blocks (catheters) that are not in the epidural or subarachnoid space (such as brachial plexus, femoral, etc.).  When you report E/M codes, you must have a chief complaint and progress or procedure notes to support the code reported. 

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