Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Question: Our neurologist performed a 19-hour continuous EEG study on a patient in the hospital who-d had respiratory failure following an EGD. (The patient aspirated and became septic with renal failure.) The patient did have an abnormal EEG two days prior. How should I report the 19-hour test?

New Mexico Subscriber

Answer: The correct code depends on the number of channels and whether your neurologist used video.

If he performed a video EEG, report 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).

If the EEG was without video and 16 or more channels, report 95956 (Monitoring for localization of cerebral seizure focus by cable or radio, 16 or more channel telemetry, electroencephalographic [EEG] recording and interpretation, each 24 hours).

For either option: Codes 95951 and 95956 are "each 24 hour" codes. If the test your physician completes lasts less than 15 hours, you should append modifier 52 (Reduced services). Because the test you-re coding went beyond 15 hours, however, you simply report 95951 or 95956.