Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

About monitoring: Coders often ask about how to report their physician's time spent monitoring infusions. Don't be tempted to use add-on prolonged services codes in these circumstances -- you should only add these to other E/M service codes.

The CPT chemotherapy administration guidelines indicate that these highly complex services require direct physician supervision for any or all purposes of patient assessment, provision of consent, safety oversight, and intraservice staff supervision.

However, if the neurologist performs a significant, separately identifiable E/M service, you should report the appropriate E/M service code appended with modifier 25 (Significant, separately identifiable E/M service by the same physician on the same day of the procedure or other service).