Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: I thought that we would report 95951 for 24-hour video EEG, but am reading that 95951 is a hospital-based code. Our office owns a video EEG. The patient takes it home and records for 24 hours, then returns for our physician to read and interpret. What code should we bill?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: You're correct that 95951 (Monitoring for localization of cerebral seizure focus by cable or radio, 16 or more channel telemetry, combined electroencephalographic [EEG] and video recording and interpretation [e.g., for presurgical localization], each 24 hours) can apply to video monitoring EEGs. Although the video monitoring aspect of the service is important, the key in coding this situation, however, is that the patient completes the study at home. Your best choice is 95953 (Monitoring for localization of cerebral seizure focus by computerized portable 16 or more channel EEG, electroencephalographic [EEG] recording and interpretation, each 24 hours, unattended) because the test was performed in the patient's home without any support staff physically present. Unattended is defined by CPT® as when a technologist or qualified health care professional is not physically present with the patient during the recording session.