Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

If your physician has been experimenting with cutting-edge electronic brachytherapy, then you may actually be able to bill for it soon.

The American Medical Association recently approved a new CPT code for this cancer treatment system, which goes under the brand name Axxent. You can use Category III code 0182T (High dose rate electronic brachytherapy, per fraction) to bill for this therapy, which delivers targeted radiation therapy directly to cancer sites without exposing surrounding tissue to much radiation. The Food & Drug Administration approved Axxent for early-stage breast cancer.

As with most Category III codes, there's no way of telling whether your Part B carriers will pay for this code or how much they-ll pay. Manufacturer Xoft notes that Medicare has already assigned a New Technology Ambula-tory Payment Classification for reimbursing the procedure in the hospital outpatient setting.