Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: I’m new to cardiology. What are the procedure codes for a comprehensive EP study, and what are the five mandatory components of the comprehensive study?

South Dakota Subscriber

Answer: For a comprehensive electrophysiologic (EP study), you should look to these two codes:

• 93619 (Comprehensive electrophysiologic evaluation with right atrial pacing and recording, right ventricular pacing and recording, His bundle recording, including insertion and repositioning of multiple electrode catheters, without induction or attempted induction of arrhythmia). Note: If the cardiologist makes no attempt at inducing the arrhythmia, you should report 93619. “Code 93619 describes only evaluation of the sinus node, atrioventricular node, and His-Purkinje conduction system, without arrhythmia induction,” per the CPT^® guidelines.
• 93620 (Comprehensive electrophysiologic evaluation including insertion and repositioning of multiple electrode catheters with induction or attempted induction of arrhythmia; with right atrial pacing and recording, right ventricular pacing and recording, His bundle recording). Note: If the cardiologist makes any attempt at induction (successful or not), then you should report 93620.

If your cardiologist performs a comprehensive EP study, he inserts multiple electrode catheters in the patient’s high right atrium, His bundle region, and right ventricle. Your cardiologist must perform the five following components to report a comprehensive EP study:

• Right atrial recording
• Right atrial pacing
• Right ventricular pacing
• Right ventricular recording
• Bundle of His recording.

Important: If your cardiologist’s medical record documentation is not reflective of these five elements in the procedure/operative report, then the study is not considered comprehensive, and, instead, you should report each component individually based on the specific procedure(s) your cardiologist performed and documented.