Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: My neurologist documented that she performed motor EP studies. How should I code these studies?

California Subscriber

Answer: It may be confusing to locate the correct code to report your neurologist's services. Providers often use acronyms in their documentation such as "EP" for evoked potential or "MEP" for motor evoked potential. There are several CPT codes that describe evoked potential (EP) studies:

- 95928 -- Central motor evoked potential study (transcranial motor stimulation); upper limbs (MEP)

- 95929 -- ...lower limbs (MEP)

- 92585 -- Auditory evoked potentials for evoked response audiometry and/or testing of the central nervous system; comprehensive

- 92586 -- ...limited

- 95925 -- Short-latency somatosensory evoked potential study, stimulation of any/all peripheral nerves or skin sites, recording from the central nervous system; in upper limbs

- 95926 -- ...in lower limbs

- 95927 -- ...in the trunk or head

- 95930 -- Visual evoked potential (VEP) testing central nervous system, checkerboard or flash.

Codes 95928 and 95929 are the codes for you to look at, as they describe testing of the motor pathways centrally from the brain cortex through the spine and on to the peripheral extremity muscles. MEP studies differ from somatosensory evoked potential studies, or SEP codes, which look at the sensory pathway from the peripheral nerves in the arms, legs, or trunk to the sensory part of the brain. Report a single unit of 95928-95929 for any and all sites tested during a single session. The codes are bilateral. For example: If your 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 95928 x 1 unit.