Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Rather than wade through thousands of CCI edits, look to this easy-to-use chart to find when you may report cranioplasty codes 62140 and 62141 separately with craniotomy and craniectomy procedures from CPT range 61304-61517.

- The "always bundled" code pairs include a modifier indicator of "0," meaning that you may not override the edit under any circumstances.

Codes that always bundle 62140 and 62141 include: 61304, 61305, 61312, 61313, 61314, 61315, 61320, 61321, 61322, 61323, 61330, 61332, 61340, 61343, 61345, 61440, 61450, 61458, 61460, 61490 and 61514.

- For those edits in the "never bundled" category, you should be able to report 62140 and 62141 separately without difficulty, as long as documentation supports the cranioplasty.

Codes that never bundle 62140 and 62141 include: 61316, 61333, 61334, 61500, 61501 and 61517.

- Those edits in the final category include a "1" modifier indicator. Although 62140 and 62141 are usually bundled to these codes, you may override the edits using modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service) in certain circumstances, including those cases when the cranioplasty and craniotomy/craniectomy occur at different locations within the skull.

Codes to which 62140 and 62141 are sometimes bundled, but that allow for separate billing with modifier 59, include: 61470, 61480, 61510, 61512 and 61516.