Anesthesia Coding Alert
Carriers Bundle Fluoro With 63650
Question: What code do I use for a pars defect injection (L5) under fluoroscopy? The physician administered 1 percent Lidocaine for local anesthetic, then 1 cc of 0.5 percent Bupivacaine and 20 mg of Depo-Medrol for the actual treatment.
Delaware Subscriber
Answer: Your Medicare carrier is following the National Correct Coding Initiative's (NCCI) guidelines. NCCI edits include fluoroscopy (such as 76005, Fluoroscopic guidance and localization of needle or catheter tip for spine or paraspinous diagnostic or therapeutic injection procedures [epidural, transforaminal epidural, subarachnoid, paravertebral facet joint, paravertebral facet joint nerve or sacroiliac joint], including neurolytic agent destruction) with most pain procedures (such as 63650, Percutaneous implantation of neurostimulator electrode array, epidural).
Carriers bundle these services because the physician cannot perform the procedure without fluoroscopy.
Anesthesia Coding Alert
- CPT 2006 Update:
AMA Redefines Conscious Sedation Coding--Here's What You Need to Know
Caution: Anesthesia coders should steer clear if your MD provides MAC
Implementing [...] - Double Lumen Dilemma:
Dig Through Details Before Coding Anesthesia With DLT
Hint: Pay more attention to companion services than DLT
Coders- opinions differ [...] - OB Checkpoint:
4 Keys Help Smooth Out Labor Epidural Coding
Teach your team documentation secrets to get paid consistently
Before you submit a labor epidural claim, [...] - You Be the Coder:
Groshong Code Depends on Service Provided
Question: The anesthesia record lists -Groshong catheter R- as the procedure. How should I code [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Double Check Service for Post-Spinal Headache
Question: How should I code an anesthesia consultation for post-spinal headache?
Mississippi Subscriber
Answer: Correct coding [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Base Hernia Code on Patient's Age
Question: What should I report for anesthesia during an inguinal hernia repair?
Nebraska Subscriber
Answer: The correct [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
00400 Best Bet for Chest Wall Mass Excision
Question: What code should I report for excision of arteriovascular malformation in the chest wall?
Vermont [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Lithotripsy Outweighs Stent Placement
Question: Our physician administered spinal anesthesia during electrohydraulic lithotripsy and double-J stent placement. What codes [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
OK to Report Flat-fee, Time-Based Services Together
Question: How should I report flat-fee procedures (such as Swan-Ganz catheters, TEE probes or arterial [...] - Sneak Peek:
CPT 2006 Offers New Kyphoplasty and Chemodenervation
Additions and revisions help ensure you code these procedures more accurately
CPT 2006 brings good news [...] - Radiofrequency Round-Up:
Validate Your Options Before Reporting RF of the Dorsal Root Ganglion
Hint: Unlisted might be your best bet
Reporting radiofrequency (RF) of the dorsal root ganglion can [...] - You Be the Coder:
Diagnoses Vary for Subarticular Recess Stenosis
Question: What is the correct diagnosis for subarticular recess stenosis?
Ohio Subscriber
Answer: The correct diagnosis [...] - Documentation Help:
Thorough--BUt Short--Cover Letters Can Boost Pay
Keep these 4 tips in mind when submitting claims with unlisted codes
When you submit a [...] - E/M Focus:
Dig Deeper Into Histories to Justify Higher-level Codes
Thorough documentation of medical history can help your coding cause
Track down all the details you [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Separate Diagnoses Help Multi Procedure Claims
Question: Should I have separate diagnoses when I code for a consult and a pain [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Code Post-op Fascia Iliac Block as Peripheral
Question: An orthopedic surgeon has asked our physicians to begin administering postoperative blocks after total [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Double-injection Reporting Is OK
Question: The physician treated a patient with right shoulder bursitis and right biceps tendonitis. He [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Carriers Bundle Fluoro With 63650
Question: What code do I use for a pars defect injection (L5) under fluoroscopy? The [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Verify Policies Before Coding Lidocaine
Question: Which code should I use for 3 mg of Lidocaine HC?
Pennsylvania Subscriber
Answer: If [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Watch Anatomy for Popliteal Nerve Block
Question: How should I code a popliteal nerve block for postoperative pain management?
Texas Subscriber
Answer: [...] - READER QUESTIONS:
Regional Extremity Block = 01995
Question: What CPT code applies to a caudal block for postoperative pain management? The patient [...]
