Read this if you ever get confused about proper injection/infusion types. Coding for injections and infusions might seem like a simple exercise, but there’s more to it than the codes. You’ll need to know the different types of injections/infusions and the hierarchy for reporting these services. Get one of these elements wrong, and your claim could be coming back unpaid. Don’t worry: Stay out of payers’ crosshairs with this primer on key terms and concepts for injection/infusion coding, from Michele M. Stevens, CPC, CPMA, AAPC Fellow. During her HEALTHCON 2021 Dallas session “Infusion, Hydration, Injection Coding,” Stevens walked attendees through the definitions of the infusion/injection terms that so often pop up in CPT® code descriptors. Here’s what she had to say. Know Different Injection/Infusion Types There will be key terms in the notes of any injection/infusion claim that coders must know before they can even hope to select the proper code. Check out Stevens’ definitions of the major injection/infusion types you’re likely to see: Know Hierarchy of Injections/Infusions You should also know which types of injections/infusions are the most specialized, and the ones that are more general. That way, you’ll know whether or not one service is included in the other: for instance, hydration is included in the work units of most chemotherapy codes. So, you wouldn’t report hydration separately for a patient undergoing chemotherapy. Follow this hierarchy for injections/infusions, showing you the order in which you should consider injections/infusions (in descending order). If you’re unsure how to prioritize injections/infusions on a claim, rely on this hierarchy: Know What Questions to Ask If you’re unsure of what type of injection/infusion the patient received, Stevens recommends you look at the claim and ask these questions about the service: Once you have those questions answered, it should be much easier to arrive at the type of injection/infusion you need to code for. Know Documentation Requirements Stevens stressed the need for strict documentation on your injection/infusion claims to avoid the ire of payers. On your injection/infusion claims, documentation should include: