Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: My family physician wants to purchase preservative-free tetanus diphtheria (Td) vaccine. Does a CPT code exist for this product?


Pennsylvania Subscriber


Answer: Yes. CPT contains a code for Aventis Pasteur's new preservative-free Td vaccine called DECAVAC. When your office gives this injection, you should report 90714 (Tetanus and diphtheria toxoids [Td] adsorbed, preservative-free, for use in individuals 7 years or older, for intramuscular use), in addition to 90471-90474 (Immunization administration ...).

Catch: The CPT manual won't contain 90714 until 2006. The code, however, becomes effective July 1, 2005. Some health plans indicate that they will accept the code earlier than the HIPAA implementation deadline.

Action: Prior to purchasing preservative-free Td vaccination, contact your insurers for 90714 activation information. If an insurance representative is unaware of the new code, e-mail or fax her CPT's early-release vaccine-code information available at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/10902.html.

Eligibility: You may administer the Td vaccine under these conditions:

Preventive: as a routine booster (V06.5, Need for prophylactic vaccination and inoculation against combinations of diseases; tetanus-diphtheria [Td] [DT]) every 10 years throughout life for patients 7 years of age or older who have received a primary series of tetanus- and diphtheria-containing vaccine

Therapeutic: for wound care (such as 892.0, Open wound of foot except toe[s] alone; without mention of complication) in persons who have not received a tetanus toxoid-containing preparation within the preceding five years.