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Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Descriptor Differences in 95885 and 95887 Explained

Published on Sun Jun 24, 2012

Question: What is the difference in the terminology for 95885 "with related paraspinal areas" and 95887 for "axial muscles"? If the clinician does the EMG on the lumbar mid paraspinal muscle and the lumbar low paraspinal muscle, should we consider these as axial muscles?New York SubscriberAnswer: You will need to understand the descriptors a little better. Code 95885 (Needle electromyography, each extremity, with related paraspinal areas, when performed, done with nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study; limited [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) is for needle electromyography in the extremity. The descriptor says "with related paraspinal areas, when performed." This is a clear situation where you report the paraspinal areas if performed in association with EMG testing of extremity muscles. The related paraspinal areas are included in this descriptor because the nerves that supply the extremities derive from the spinal cord and the testing of the paraspinal [...]
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