Cardiology Coding Alert

CPT 2003 adds 24-hour attended monitoring to 93012 and 93268, which are used for electrocardiogram (EKG) rhythm strip supervision.

The revised codes include wording to reflect the new 24-hour monitoring clause:

93012 Telephonic transmission of post-symptom electrocardiogram rhythm strip(s), 24-hour attended monitoring, per 30 day period of time; tracing only

93268 Patient demand single or multiple event recording with presymptom memory loop, 24-hour attended monitoring, per 30 day period of time; includes transmission, physician review and interpretation.

CPTs addition of 24-hour attending monitoring to 93012 and 93268 will eliminate over-reliance on 2002 HCPCS codes (G0004-G0007 and G00015), which include 24-hour monitoring clauses.

Until these revisions, coders used CPT codes for non-24-hour monitoring and the G codes for 24-hour EKG monitoring, observes Nikki Vendegna, CPC, a cardiology coding and reimbursement specialist in Overland Park, Kan. These G codes probably will be eliminated now that the CPT codes include these revisions, she explains.

Adding 24-hour monitoring to 93012 and 93268 should increase reimbursement for these codes, coding experts speculate.

If your practice does not have 24-hour attended monitoring capability, you would still use 93012 and 93268, but you would append modifier -52 (Reduced services), Vendegna recommends.