Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: How should I bill for an intramuscular injection of 60 mg of Toradol and calculate the medication units?

Georgia Subscriber

Answer: The correct procedure CPT 96372 (Therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic injection [specify substance or drug]; subcutaneous or intramuscular). Then report HCPCS code J1885 (Injection, ketorolac tromethamine, per 15 mg) for the medication.

Because the descriptor specifies a medication amount, one unit equals 15 mg. Tocalculate the units, divide the total mg administered by 15. For example, in this case you'll bill with four units of service as your physician injected 60 mg of Toradol.

-- Answers to You Be the Coder and Reader Questions were provided by Scott Groudine, MD, an Albany, N.Y., anesthesiologist; and Marvel J. Hammer, RN, CPC, CCS-P, ACS-PM, CHCO, owner of MJH Consulting in Denver.