Wiki Discrepancy in November 2023 Healthcare regarding NCV

[tlynnpugh@yahoo.com]

I noticed while reading the "Coding Nerve Conduction Studies and Electromyography" in the November 2023 Healthcare that it states to count each type of study only once when performed on the same nerve even if it is at the more than one site. However, if you continue to read on under "Look to Appendix J", second paragraph, there is an example where it is stating a median sensory neve that is stimulated at the first digit and then the third that it is counted as two different studies. Is this an error in the printing? Why would we give credit for two studies if the same nerve is being stimulated?

 

[iowagirl77]

I don't believe that is an error, but I agree the language is confusing. Per the CPT description of the procedure, in most motor nerve conduction studies (as well as some sensory and mixed nerve), both proximal and distal stimulation is used; this counts as one on that nerve even if they are testing at two sites of that same nerve. They are telling us in Appendix J which nerves they consider to be separate; I assume due to the way that they branch. For your example, the appendix lists the first and third digits separately for the median sensory nerve so we can count them separately.