Wiki Help Needed

[Melissa Harris CPC]

We were a co-surgeon for placement of a Bifrontal and Bioccipital peripheral nerve stimulator electrodes percutaneously with implantation of an IPG under fluro for Chronic intractable headaches.

can someone help me out with the coding?? We billed 64555 62, 64555 51 62 x 3 and 63685.
Thank you

Melissa Harris, CPC
The Albany and Saratoga Centers for Pain Management

 

[dwaldman]

0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure.

64555 is not allowed per Medicare payment policy indicators for co surgeons for this code. So modifier 62 will not be able to be reported.

Need to inform the physician that this procedure code does not allow the reporting of co surgeons.

You can review the payment policy indicators for Medicare on this link for the physician fee schedule look up.

http://www.cms.gov/apps/physician-fee-schedule/overview.aspx

Additionally, CPT 63685 is for a spinal cord stimulator. For peripheral nerve stimulator, the IPG is reported with

64590 Insertion or replacement of peripheral or gastric neurostimulator pulse generator or receiver, direct or inductive coupling