Wiki Infusion vs. injection of chemo-therapy 5FU

[suzy100s]

I need some help with coding the injection of 5FU. The case example is the patient had Decadron IVP 10 min. and Aloxi IVP 10 min. and Irinotecan for 60 min. (Chemo infusion 96413) and then 5FU for 20 minutes. We are in discussion of whether or not the 5FU is an infusion or injection. We thought the time criterion rule of 15 minutes or less applied and it would be an injection, but some are saying this is a slow IVP and should be billed as 96411 instead (chemo therapy IVP ea add'l substance) and not as an infusion 96415 (chemo ins ea addl seq of new drug). Do the time rules not apply in this case?

 

[OCD_coder]

If the 20 min infusion is identified/classified/documented by the nurse as a push specifically, you code it as a push regardless if it runs 14 or 20 minutes.

There is an Oncology-Hematology Coding Alert or CPT Assistant out there somewhere that elaborates on this topic, I don't have a copy of it.

 

[blair brown]

I agree if the documentation says 5FU given IVP time doesn't matter. A push is a push. if it is documented as an infusion then the time rules apply.