Radiology Coding Alert

Question: I code for a hospital. If the radiologist uses ultrasound guidance when accessing a vessel for a catheter placement but doesn't record the images, can I still report 76937? Is 76942 appropriate?

Connecticut Subscriber

Answer: Decide how you would answer this

Answer: You should not report +76937 (Ultrasound guidance for vascular access requiring ultrasound evaluation of potential access sites, documentation of selected vessel patency, concurrent realtime ultrasound visualization of vascular needle entry, with permanent recording and reporting [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure]) because the descriptor tells you this code requires permanent recording.

Prior to 2004, when CPT added 76937, you could assign 76942 (Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement [e.g., biopsy, aspiration, injection, localization device], imaging supervision and interpretation) when a provider used ultrasound guidance for vascular access.

But now that you have a specific code for this service, you should not report 76942. Use only 76937 for ultrasound guidance for vascular access. If your documentation doesn't meet 76937 criteria, you shouldn't assign an ultrasound code.