Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: Can you explain the rules for reporting a complete cardiac event monitoring service (93268) versus the component codes?

Pennsylvania Subscriber

Answer: You should report global code 93268 (External patient and, when performed, auto activated electrocardiographic rhythm derived event recording with symptom-related memory loop with remote download capability up to 30 days, 24-hour attended monitoring; includes transmission, review and interpretation by a physician or other qualified health care professional), representing both the technical and professional parts of the service, if your cardiologist performs the complete cardiac event monitoring service.

Don’t miss: Code 93268 includes the hookup, recording monitoring, receipt of transmission, disconnection, and the reviewing physician’s interpretation of the rhythm strips and a prepared report, per CPT^® Assistant Vol. 21, No 10.

On the other hand, 93270-93272 represent the cardiac event monitoring component codes.

Code 93270: If your cardiologist performs the connection, recording, and disconnection of the cardiac event monitoring, report 93270 (External patient and, when performed, auto activated electrocardiographic rhythm derived event recording with symptom-related memory loop with remote download capability up to 30 days, 24-hour attended monitoring; recording (includes connection, recording, and disconnection)).

Code 93271: If your cardiologist performs the transmission, download receipt, and the analysis, you would report 93271 (External patient and, when performed, auto activated electrocardiographic rhythm derived event recording with symptom-related memory loop with remote download capability up to 30 days, 24-hour attended monitoring; transmission and analysis), per CPT^® Assistant Vol. 21, No 10.

Code 93272: If your cardiologist performs the professional component of the monitoring service, the review and interpretation, you would report 93272 (External patient and, when performed, auto activated electrocardiographic rhythm derived event recording with symptom-related memory loop with remote download capability up to 30 days, 24-hour attended monitoring; review and interpretation by a physician or other qualified health care professional).

Don’t miss: Since these component codes are included in 93268, you should never report 93270-93272 separately with 93268.