Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Our physician administered a nerve block to the mandibular nerve. Which nerve injection code should I report?

Massachusetts Subscriber

Answer: Because the mandibular nerve is the largest of the three branches of the trigeminal nerve, your best choice is 64400 (Injection, anesthetic agent; trigeminal nerve, any division or branch). Code 64400 more accurately describes the injection site than other options you might have considered, such as 64402 (... facial nerve) or 64450 (... other peripheral nerve or branch).

Note that if your provider completes a joint injection to the same area, your coding changes. In that case, you would submit joint injection code 20605 (Arthrocentesis, aspiration and/or injection; intermediate joint or bursa [e.g., temporomandibular, acromioclavicular, wrist, elbow or ankle, olecranon bursa]).