Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Warning: Medicare still won't reimburse audiologist-billed Epley.ENT coders, you have reason to cheer. After two years of battles with CMS over canalith repositioning procedure (CRP) coding, physicians will finally get paid for these specific codes.CPT 2009 excited ENT coders with new CPT code 95992 (Canalith repositioning procedure[s] [e.g., Epley maneuver, Semont maneuver], per day). The 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule cut coders' applause short. CMS assigned the codes 'B' status or always bundled it, making payment for CRP or the Epley maneuver using the new code impossible to obtain.The 2011 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule ends the fight for payment of CRP. At the beginning of next year, the codes status will be "A'", announced Marc Hartstein, deputy director of CMS' hospital ambulatory policy group. "We will finalize the proposal with a work RVU of 0.75 and the RUC recommended PE inputs." When 95992 had status B, ENTs were instructed to [...]