Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: Can we report nerve conduction studies with electromyography? Are modifiers needed when reporting these services together?  

Massachusetts Subscriber

Answer: You can report nerve conduction studies with electromyography. According to CPT® guidelines, you can report 95912 (Nerve conduction studies; 11-12 studies) and other nerve conduction studies in conjunction with 95886 (Needle electromyography, each extremity, with related paraspinal areas, when performed, done with nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study; complete, five or more muscles studied, innervated by three or more nerves or four or more spinal levels [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]). You report these codes together when your physician administers both tests on the same day. 

Similarly, for the add-on codes, you can also report nerve conduction studies with codes for electromyography, i.e. 95885 (Needle electromyography, each extremity, with related paraspinal areas, when performed, done with nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study; limited [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) and 95887 (Needle electromyography, non-extremity [cranial nerve supplied or axial] muscle[s] done with nerve conduction, amplitude and latency/velocity study [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure]).