Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: Can we receive separate reimbursement for ulnar nerve inching? Our physicians keep asking because they spend so much time on the procedure.

Nebraska Subscriber

Answer: Ulnar nerve inching is a type of nerve conduction study. One electrode usually remains stationary while the physician inches the other electrode down the nerve. Studies of segments of a given nerve are bundled into the same single unit of nerve conduction study.

What it means: Your physicians cannot receive additional reimbursement unless they reposition both electrodes.

When reporting nerve conduction studies, choose the most appropriate code from 95900-95904 (Nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study, each nerve ...).

-- Clinical and coding expertise for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Neil Busis, MD, chief of the division of neurology and director of the neurodiagnostic laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at Shadyside, and clinical associate professor in the department of neurology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; and Laureen Jandroep, OTR, CPC, CCS-P, CPC-H, CCS, CodeRyte Inc. coding analyst and coding review teacher.