Orthopedic Coding Alert

Question: When we perform multiple injections at the same time, can we report 77002 more than once? Colorado Subscriber Answer: Technically, you should be able to report 77002 (Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement [e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device]) more than once for each separate service, but your payer may have another opinion. The descriptor for 77002 says "guidance for needle placement" in the singular. The descriptor also does not have a specific time range like some other fluoroscopic codes, so time is not a factor. But for Medicare claims, you-ll find that 77002 has a limitation of one unit of service in the list of practitioner medically unlikely edits (MUEs). For medically necessary services exceeding MUEs, check your payer's reporting preference. And before you report even one unit, check the Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits, because fluoroscopic guidance is bundled into numerous services. -- Reader Questions and You Be the Coder were reviewed by Heidi Stout, CPC, CCS-P, director of orthopedic coding services at The Coding Network LLC; and Bill Mallon, MD, orthopedic surgeon and medical director at Triangle Orthopaedic Associates in Durham, N.C.