Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Question: During a recent visit, one of our staff members administered multiple therapeutic infusions to a patient through a single IV line. I-m coding for this using add-on code 90768. How many times may I report this code per encounter?

Massachusetts Subscriber

Answer: According to the parenthetical note following +90768 (Intravenous infusion, for therapy, prophylaxis, or diagnosis [specify substance or drug]; concurrent infusion [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) in the CPT manual, you should report this code only once per encounter.

Keep in mind: There isn't a specific code for concurrent chemotherapy. However, you can use unlisted-procedure code 96549 (Unlisted chemotherapy procedure) when your staff members administer multiple chemotherapy agents simultaneously in separate bags using the same IV line.

Plan ahead: You should always provide full documentation when coding for concurrent drug administration to avoid any reimbursement problems.