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Radiology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Fluoroscopy

Published on Sun Sep 01, 2002

Question: I know that for the CPT 76000 and CPT 76001 the radiologist must be in the room to charge does the same also hold true for 76003 and 76005 on the professional side? Sometimes there are films for the radiologist to review. Can I bill the fluoroscopy code or just a spot film for that anatomical site?

Pennsylvania Subscriber

Answer: 76000, 76001, 76003 and 76005 must be performed under the personal supervision of a physician, but each of these codes has both a technical and professional component and can be billed as such.

76000 Fluoroscopy (separate procedure), up to one hour physician time, other than 71023 or 71034 (e.g., cardiac fluoroscopy)
76001 Fluoroscopy, physician time more than one hour, assisting a non-radiologic physician ...

 

 

76003 Fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement (e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device)
76005 Fluoroscopic guidance and localization of needle or catheter tip for spine or paraspinous diagnostic or therapeutic injection procedures including neurolytic agent destruction.

 

It is important to check CCI edits when billing these codes because many procedures include fluoroscopy in the main procedure. If the physician is not present and films are obtained for later review (spot films or otherwise) the film interpretation may be coded as an examination of the pertinent body part (with or without the necessary modifier[s]).

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