Reader Questions:
36215 Doesn't Belong With +36218
Published on Mon Apr 04, 2011
Question: May I report both 36215 and 36216, or does 36216 include 36215 because the physician went through the first branch to get to the second? Or should I instead use +36218 with 36215?Codify MemberAnswer: Appropriate code choice will depend on the documentation for the specific case and the specific vessels involved, but because you mention going through one vessel to get to the other, 36216 (Selective catheter placement, arterial system; initial second order thoracic or brachiocephalic branch, within a vascular family) is the most likely candidate.36215: The CPT rule is that you should include catheter introduction and all lesser-order selective catheter positions in your selective vascular catheter code when they are both:Within the same vascular family, andAccessed through the same approach.So if the case you describe involves moving the catheter through a first-order vessel just to move on to the secondorder destination vessel in the same family, you should [...]