Tech & Innovation in Healthcare

Question: I read your article, “Stay Calm When Reporting VR Procedural Dissociation With These Coding Tips,” in Tech & Innovation in Healthcare, Volume 3, Issue 12, and was wondering if we must meet the time thresholds listed for each code to report 0771T through +0774T?

Idaho Subscriber

Answer: The following Category III CPT^® codes are designated for virtual reality (VR) procedural dissociation services:

• 0771T (Virtual reality (VR) procedural dissociation services provided by the same physician or other qualified health care professional performing the diagnostic or therapeutic service that the VR procedural dissociation supports, requiring the presence of an independent, trained observer to assist in the monitoring of the patient’s level of dissociation or consciousness and physiological status; initial 15 minutes of intraservice time, patient age 5 years or older)
• +0772T (… each additional 15 minutes intraservice time (List separately in addition to code for primary service))
• 0773T (Virtual reality (VR) procedural dissociation services provided by a physician or other qualified health care professional other than the physician or other qualified health care professional performing the diagnostic or therapeutic service that the VR procedural dissociation supports; initial 15 minutes of intraservice time, patient age 5 years or older)
• +0774T (… each additional 15 minutes intraservice time (List separately in addition to code for primary service))

Codes 0771T and 0773T each apply to the “initial 15 minutes” and add-on codes +0772T and +0774T apply to “each additional 15 minutes.” But a table in the CPT^® guidelines with these codes clarifies that the time thresholds are roughly the halfway point of those 15 minutes.

• Use the initial codes for 10-22 minutes. Don’t separately report VR services lasting fewer than 10 minutes.
• Report the initial code and one unit of the add-on code once you hit 23 minutes. That’s 15 minutes (initial code) and eight minutes (add-on code) to reach the total of 23 minutes.
• Add another unit of the add-on code each time you reach eight minutes past the time represented by the previous code, such as 2 units of the add-on code for 38 minutes (15 minutes + 15 minutes + 8 minutes).