Radiology Coding Alert

Question: Our radiologist did an echo and imaging during a cardiovascular stress test procedure. How can we report these services?

Georgia Subscriber

Answer: Before you can pick up the code for echo, you need to confirm if the cardiovascular stress test was a complete test or a component test.

For a complete stress test (93015), you should submit code 93351 (Echocardiography, transthoracic, real-time with image documentation [2D], includes M-mode recording, when performed, during rest and cardiovascular stress test using treadmill, bicycle exercise and/or pharmacologically induced stress, with interpretation and report; including performance of continuous electrocardiographic monitoring, with supervision by a physician or other qualified health care professional) for the echo.

For a component stress test (93016-93018), you can submit the echo code 93350 (Echocardiography, transthoracic, real-time with image documentation [2D], includes M-mode recording, when performed, during rest and cardiovascular stress test using treadmill, bicycle exercise and/or pharmacologically induced stress, with interpretation and report).