Urology Coding Alert

Question: Can we bill CPT 51701 if a nurse is catheterizing a patient?


Michigan Subscriber

Answer: Yes. You can report 51701 (Insertion of non-indwelling bladder catheter [e.g., straight catheterization for residual urine]) when a trained nurse catheterizes a patient, if the physician supervises the procedure. This doesn't mean that the urologist has to be in the same room as the nurse during the catheterization procedure, but the physician must be in the office at the time of the procedure.

Tip: You should code a urine catheterization with P9612 (Catheterization for collection of specimen, single patient, all places of service) for Medicare and 51701 for other payers. To get payment for the E/M that led to the decision for catheterization, make sure to link the signs or symptoms (such as fever, 780.6) to the E/M, and link the definitive diagnosis (such as urinary tract infection, 599.0, Urinary tract infection, site not specified) to the catheterization.