Question: A physician performed a lumbar epidural steroid injection (LESI) on a workers' compensation patient. How should I code this? Answer: Many workers' compensation carriers use old coding manuals or assign their own coding structures - which means there might be a wide range of acceptable codes (including ones that may not be in current versions of CPT). - You Be the Coder and Reader Questions were provided by Cindy Parman, CPC, CPC-H, RCC, co-founder of Coding Strategies Inc., in Dallas, Ga.
Texas Subscriber
Verify the correct code assignment with each workers' comp payer. If the carrier uses up-to-date codes, report 62311 (Injection, single [not via indwelling catheter], not including neurolytic substances, with or without contrast [for either localization or epidurography], of diagnostic or therapeutic substance[s] [including anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution], epidural or subarachnoid; lumbar, sacral [caudal]) with 724.02 (Spinal stenosis, other than cervical; lumbar region). Check the carrier's guidelines to determine if they use old codes, so you can comply with their coding structure.