Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: We report 76000 when the physician uses a fluoroscopy machine with procedures. CPT states that this is a timed service (up to one hour), but should we only bill once for several different anatomic sites or bill 76000 for each different site that the physician addresses?


Missouri Subscriber


Answer: Careful -- the National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) bundles fluoro into most other imaging procedures. You'll rarely charge 76000 (Fluoroscopy [separate procedure], up to one hour physician time, other than 71023 or 71034 [e.g., cardiac fluoroscopy]) with another cardiology code. 

If the physician is using fluoro for a noncardiology procedure, you should report only a single unit of 76000 regardless of the number of sites the physician addresses. This is because the physician sets up the guidance system once, so he does not expend additional significant work when he uses the guidance on more than one site.

Caution: NCCI also bundles fluoro into many non-cardiology services, such as bronchoscopy.

Check the NCCI edits and the CPT code definition to see whether you can appropriately report fluoro separately.

You could possibly report 76000 more than once on the same date of service, but only for separate patient encounters, which is unlikely.

If your practice does not own the fluoroscopy equipment or if the physician performs the fluoro in the facility setting, remember to append modifier 26 (Professional component) to 76000.