Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: A patient with a history of heart disease presented to the practitioner for a routine physical. The physician performed an electrocardiogram (ECG) with 12 leads. How do I code this?

North Dakota Subscriber

Answer: If your provider performs a routine ECG with at least 12 leads, consider the following codes:

• 93000 (Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with at least 12 leads; with interpretation and report). You’ll use this code when your physician performs both elements of an ECG in his office. In this case, the physician owns the ECG machine and performs both the technical component (i.e., the tracing) and the professional component (i.e., the interpretation and report).
• 93005 (Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with at least 12 leads; tracing only, without interpretation and report). You’ll report this codewhen your provider only administers an ECG for a patient and sends the resulting tracing elsewhere (e.g., to a cardiologist) for the interpretation and report. The ECG machine and tracings are considered the technical component of the 93005 service.
• 93010 (Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with at least 12 leads; interpretation and report only). You’ll report this code if your physician only performs the interpretation and report of an ECG done elsewhere. In this case, 93010 is the professional component of the ECG, and since the practice does not own the ECG machine that performed the tracing done elsewhere, your physician would only report the professional component.