Urology coders glide through the latest Correct Coding Initiative edits and into the new year with only a handful of new bundles to reckon with. Here's the rundown. The CCI Edits effective Jan. 1 through March 31 managed to put 2003's new CPT Codes into proper context, clarifying what they include and are included in from day one of their incorporation. The latest set of edits has also bundled a nerve block code (64416) into the overwhelming majority of urinary system surgical procedures. First, CCI 9.0 guarantees urology practices won't be receiving additional reimbursement for catheterizations by bundling two of the three new catheter codes, CPT 51701 (Insertion of non-indwelling bladder catheter [e.g., straight catheterization for residual urine]) and 51702 (Insertion of temporary indwelling bladder catheter; simple [e.g., Foley]), into all procedures in which the comparable 2002 catheter code, 53670, was included. The new catheter bundles corroborate the CPT guidelines for 51701 and 51702 that state, "Codes 51701-51702 are reported only when performed independently. Do not report 51701-51702 when catheter insertion is an inclusive component of another procedure."
The most recent edits manage to inform coders of the procedures bundled into all of the new codes in a surprisingly timely manner. 64416 (Injection, anesthetic agent; brachial plexus, continuous infusion by catheter [including catheter placement] including daily management for anesthetic agent administration), a new code in 2003, is now included in the large majority of urology procedures. In other edits, two urology-related mutually exclusive code pairs have been added to the list of codes that are not to be billed together: G0002 and 51701, and G0002 and 51702.
CCI 9.0 also clarifies the procedures bundled into the new catheter codes 51701, 51702 and 51703 ( complicated [e.g., altered anatomy, fractured catheter/balloon]):