Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Dont get stuck in the trap of assuming you can code a push only if the service is 15 minutes or less.

CPT defines a push as:

(a) an injection in which the healthcare professional who administers the substance/drug is continuously present to administer the injection and observe the patient

OR

(b) an infusion of 15 minutes or less.

In the case of definition (a), a push is a one-on-one administration, says Tricia Katzberg, RHIT, CPC,CCS-P, with Cancer Care of the Cascades. The nurse stays and slowly pushes the drug. It doesnt matter if it takes longer than 15 minutes. It is still a push because of the method of administration. It can sometimes be painful, as it is a bolus of drug. A nurse explained that the type of drug may be a vesicant, meaning it could seep into tissue, rather than the vein, and that is why the nurse must be so watchful.