Neurosurgery Coding Alert

These new EEG and VEEG codes specify certain times, so pay close attention when reporting them.

When CPT^® 2020 becomes effective on Jan. 1, 2020, you’ll see 23 new electroencephalogram (EEG) codes, as well as EEG revisions and deletions. Your neurosurgeon order or perform EEGs for patients diagnosed with brain lesions, those who complain of frequent headaches, and patients who present after a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

EEG defined: An EEG is a diagnostic test that uses small electrodes attached to patient’s scalp to measure the electrical activity of the brain.

Read on to learn how to appropriately report these new EEG codes.

Catch 13 New EEG Technologist Codes

Additions: CPT^® 2020 will give you 13 new electroencephalogram (EEG) codes to report if your practice uses an EEG technologist. They are as follows:

• 95700 (Electroencephalogram (EEG) continuous recording, with video when performed, setup, patient education, and takedown when performed, administered in person by EEG technologist, minimum of 8 channels)
• 95705 (Electroencephalogram (EEG), without video, review of data, technical description by EEG technologist, 2-12 hours; unmonitored) through 95710 (Electroencephalogram (EEG), without video, review of data, technical description by EEG technologist, each increment of 12-26 hours; with continuous, real-time monitoring and maintenance)
• 95711 (Electroencephalogram with video (VEEG), review of data, technical description by EEG technologist, 2-12 hours; unmonitored) through 95716 (Electroencephalogram with video (VEEG), review of data, technical description by EEG technologist, each increment of 12-26 hours; with continuous, real-time monitoring and maintenance).

Don’t miss: If you look closely at the above new EEG codes, you will see specific information such as whether the technologist used video or not; the amount of time the EEG lasted; and the type of monitoring and maintenance the technologist performed, if any.

These new codes address the EEG technologist’s services, but do not include physician interpretation, says Gregory Przybylski, MD, immediate past chairman of neuroscience and director of neurosurgery at the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute, JFK Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey.

Example: The EEG technologist performs an EEG with video (VEEG) for a patient. The technologist reviews the data and provides a technical description. The technical description is not a physician interpretation of the EEG results. The VEEG lasts nine hours. The technologist provides continuous real-time monitoring and maintenance. You would report new code 95713 (Electroencephalogram with video (VEEG), review of data, technical description by EEG technologist, 2-12 hours; with continuous, real-time monitoring and maintenance) for this service.

Discover Brand-New Continuous Recording EEG Options

Additions: CPT^® 2020 will also offer 10 new continuous recording EEG codes. They are as follows:

• 95717 (Electroencephalogram (EEG), continuous recording, physician or other qualified health care professional review of recorded events, analysis of spike and seizure detection, interpretation and report, 2-12 hours of EEG recording; without video) and 95718 (… with video (VEEG)).
• 95719 (Electroencephalogram (EEG), continuous recording, physician or other qualified health care professional review of recorded events, analysis of spike and seizure detection, each increment of greater than 12 hours, up to 26 hours of EEG recording, interpretation and report after each 24-hour period; without video) and 95720 (… with video (VEEG))
• 95721 (… greater than 36 hours, up to 60 hours of EEG recording, without video) and 95722 (… greater than 36 hours, up to 60 hours of EEG recording, with video (VEEG))
• 95723 (… greater than 60 hours, up to 84 hours of EEG recording, without video) and 95724 (… greater than 60 hours, up to 84 hours of EEG recording, with video (VEEG))
• 95725 (… greater than 84 hours of EEG recording, without video) and 95726 (… greater than 84 hours of EEG recording, with video (VEEG)).

Don’t miss: You should read the medical documentation very carefully when reporting these new codes because some of them represent video EEG recording, while some represent EEG recording without video.

Also, the code descriptors specify certain times, so to choose the correct code, you must see how long the physician performed the recording.

Finally, Don’t Miss These EEG Deletions and Revisions

Deletions: CPT^® 2020 will delete EEG all-night recording code 95827. Instead, you should report new codes 95705-95707; 95711-95713; and 95717 and 95718.

CPT^® 2020 will also delete special EEG test codes 95950-95953 and 95956. In the place of these deleted codes, you should report new EEG codes 95700-95726.

Revision: Lastly, EEG code 95813 (Electroencephalogram (EEG) extended monitoring; greater than 1 hour 61-119 minutes) will receive a revision. As you can see, the time limit for 95813 is very specific now at 61-119 minutes.