Radiology Coding Alert

Question: Codes 64479-+64484 in the 2012 manual state "Injection," but in 2011 the same codes said "Injection(s)." What does this change mean?

Colorado Subscriber

Answer: You should report these codes just as you did in 2011. The missing (s) on "Injection" is simply a typo in the 2012 manual. The AMA posted the correction in its Errata document at www.ama-assn.org/resources/doc/cpt/cpt-corrections.pdf.

The codes should appear as:

• 64479, Injection(s), anesthetic agent and/or steroid, transforaminal epidural, with imaging guidance (fluoroscopy or CT); cervical or thoracic, single level
• +64480, ... cervical or thoracic, each additional level (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)
• 64483, ... lumbar or sacral, single level
• +64484, ... lumbar or sacral, each additional level (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure).

Keep in mind: Codes 64479-+64484 represent unilateral procedures. So if the physician performs a bilateral injection at a single level, you may report a code for each side. For example, if the physician injects the left side of T12-L1 and the right side of T12-L1, you should report 64479-50 (Bilateral procedure) to indicate the service was bilateral.