Eli's Rehab Report

Reader Question:

Append -51 to Block With SI Injection

Question: Our physiatrist administered a caudal epidural block and a left sacroiliac (SI) joint injection to a patient experiencing left-leg hip pain with radiculopathy. How should we code for both services?

Arizona Subscriber

Answer: You should report 27096 (Injection procedure for sacroiliac joint, arthrography and/or anesthetic/steroid) for the SI injection and 62311-51 (Injection, single [not via indwelling catheter], not including neurolytic substances, with or without contrast [for either localization or epidurography], of diagnostic or therapeutic substance[s] [including anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution], epidural or subarachnoid; lumbar, sacral [caudal]; Multiple procedures) for the block.

The National Correct Coding Initiative (NCCI) does not prohibit you from reporting these two codes together, so modifier -59 (Distinct procedural service) is therefore not necessary.

 

 

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