Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Tip: Many edits allow you to break the bundle, so watch modifier indicators.Check out the latest National Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits, especially if you code for canalith repositioning procedures (CRP) or plantar digital nerve injections. CCI version 17.1 went into effect April 1, 2011, and includes numerous edit pairs for both procedures.Expect Canalith Pay -- AloneCPT 2009 first introduced 95992 (Canalith repositioning procedure[s] [e.g., Epley maneuver, Semont maneuver], per day). Coders applauded the addition, but the 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule cut celebrations short. CMS assigned the code 'B' status, meaning payment for the CRP or Epley maneuver was bundled with other procedures. The 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule changed that, when code 95992 switched to "A" status. "We finalized the proposal with a work RVU of 0.75 and the RUC recommended PE inputs," says Marc Hartstein, deputy director for the Hospital and Ambulatory Policy Group for the Center for [...]