Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: If our orthopedist performs diskography injections at multiple levels (such as L2-3, L3-4, L4-5), I know we should report three units of 62290. But should we also report three units of the diskography radiological supervision and interpretation (RS&I), or should we report the RS&I only once per lumbar, once per thoracic, and once per cervical region?

Maine Subscriber
 
Answer: You should report 72295 (Diskography, lumbar, radiological supervision and interpretation) per level, just as you report 62290* (Injection procedure for diskography, each level; lumbar) at one unit per level.
 
You should only report the global code 72295 if the orthopedist personally performed the radiological supervision and if you own the radiology equipment. According to the April 2003 CPT Assistant, "If the physician performed only the professional component of the diskography, then modifier -26, Professional component, should be appended to code 72295."