Focus on 3 W's for Accurate Neuropsychological Test Coding
Published on Sat Oct 10, 2009
These do's and don'ts set your mind on the right 96118-96120 code. To choose between CPT's three neuropsychological testing codes, check who performs the test, who interprets and reports the test results, and what tests are involved. Do Know the Test Typically, neuropsychological tests are ordered on any patient with a memory or behavioral difficulty in an attempt to sort out or correlate it to the area of brain involved, explains Gloria Galloway, MD, FAAN, professor of neurology and pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. For instance, a neurologist might order a neuropsychological test on a patient with cerebrovascular disease or with dementia or for a patient with epilepsy and cognitive involvement. In addition, neurologists perform the tests on patients with known or suspected developmental or acquired brain damage/dysfunction, says Dominic A. Carone, PhD, ABPP-CN, neuropsychology assessment program coordinator for the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate [...]
