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Anesthesia Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Simultaneous Post-Op Billing

Published on Thu Nov 01, 2001

Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.

Question: Can I bill separately for an intrathecal narcotic injection and epidural catheter placement performed simultaneously for postoperative pain? Which codes are appropriate?

Pennsylvania Subscriber
 
Answer: CCI 7.2 states you cannot bill for both of these simultaneous procedures. Consider using code 62318 (injection, including catheter placement, continuous infusion or intermittent bolus, not including neurolytic substances, with or without contrast [for either localization or epidurography], or diagnostic or therapeutic substance[s] [including anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution], epidural or subarachnoid; cervical or thoracic). This is a comprehensive code that includes 01996, 20605, 20610, 36000, 36410, 62270, 62272, 62284, 62310, 69990 and 76000-76003.
 
Depending on the catheter placement, you may want to use 62319 (... lumbar, sacral [caudal]). Note that 62311 (... lumbar, sacral [caudal]) is bundled with 62319.

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