Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: When a patient reports for chemodenervation, what code should I report for the service?

North Carolina Subscriber

Answer: You’ll need to know the exact anatomy where the provider performed the chemodenervation. Go back and check the notes; then, choose among the following codes:

• 64612 (Chemodenervation of muscle(s); muscle(s) innervated by facial nerve, unilateral (eg, for blepharospasm, hemifacial spasm))
• 64615 (… muscle(s) innervated by facial, trigeminal,cervical spinal and accessory nerves, bilateral (eg, for chronic migraine))
• 64616 (… neck muscle(s), excluding muscles of the larynx, unilateral (eg, for cervical dystonia, spasmodic torticollis))

• 64617 (… larynx, unilateral, percutaneous (eg, for spasmodic dysphonia), includes guidance by needle electromyography, when performed).