Bypass Nerve Blocks, Lock-In Chemodenervations to Adhere to Latest Edits
Published on Sat Oct 10, 2009
Get the skinny on which bundles you can break! Although you'll initially welcome CCI 15.3 for allowing unbundling of injections and arthrocentesis from nerve blocks, you'll sigh at the new chemodenervation with nerve block edits. 98 Changes Will Make You Happy This fall's Correct Coding Initiative (CCI, version 15.3) changes 98 nerve block/single epidural injection with injections and arthrocentesis edits, reversing the modifier indicators that this summer's CCI (version 15.2) implemented. You can now separately report the nerve block -- or single epidural injection -- if the documentation supports overriding the edit. These codes previously had a modifier indicator of "0," meaning the edits do not allow a modifier to bypass the bundle. CCI 15.3 now lists the edits with a "1," which means Medicare allows a modifier to bypass the edit when appropriate. When unbundling these procedures, use modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service), advises Denise Brown, CPC, from Apopka, Fla. New [...]
