Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: How should I report central motor evoked potentials (EP) in conjunction with a diagnosis for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?


Florida Subscriber

Answer: CPT Codes added two codes to describe central motor EP in 2005: 95928 (Central motor evoked potential study [transcranial motor stimulation]; upper limbs) and 95929 (- lower limbs). You should report a single unit of these codes, as appropriate to the limbs the neurologist tests, for any and all sites tested during a single session.

Be careful: In addition to covering multiple sites, these codes are also bilateral. Therefore if the neurologist tests a total of four sites on the upper limbs (two on the right arm and two on the left arm), you would report only 95928. If, however, he tests only the right arm, you would need to append modifier 52 (Reduced services) to 95928.

ALS is considered a motor neuron disease, and the appropriate ICD-9 diagnosis code is 335.20 (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis).