You Be the Coder:
Defer to Payer for Cervical, Thoracic Decision
Published on Sat Aug 21, 2010
Question: Would the C7/T1 interspace be considered cervical? Michigan Subscriber Answer: Yes. The C7-T1 disc space is cervical. Keep in mind: If the surgeon performs a procedure that spans several interspaces, you should select the "region" in which the surgeon performs the majority of the work. For example, if the surgeon performs diskectomy at C7/T1 and T1/T2, treat the C7/T1 interspaces as "thoracic" and report 63077 (Diskectomy, anterior, with decompression of spinal cord and/or nerve root[s], including osteophytectomy; thoracic, single interspace) and +63078 (... thoracic, each additional interspace [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]). Some coding consultants recommend that if the surgeon operates at C6/C7 and C7/T1, treat the C7/T1 interspace as "cervical" and report 63075 (... cervical, single interspace) and +63076 (... cervical, each additional interspace [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]). The question is more difficult if only a single "inter-region" interspace [...]
