Wiki IV normal saline with no end time 96372?

[jmlarzzaapc]

We are having a dilemma with one of our clients and they are instructing us to charge 96372 for an IV infusion of hydration meds (e.g. normal saline, D5 in saline, etc) without an end time. We think that CPT documentation is pretty clear that in order to use 96372 it must be for a therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic substance/drug...which normal saline is not. Can anyone please give me some supporting documentation from a payer and/or professional organization that supports the correct coding either way? Thank you.

 

[Mojo]

Here are two links that include the hydration-without-stop-time dilemma:

http://justcoding.com/262316/unravel-injection-and-infusion-coding-confusion


http://www.racmonitor.com/news/12-from-the-editor/209-iv-hydration-documentation-and-coding-could-be-vulnerable-to-rac-audits-part-1.html

 

[JulesofColorado]

96372 is IM/SQ injection so that cannot be used and there must be a stop time in order to code hydration!

If there are no other infusions/pushes you would use 96360 Hydration 1st hour.
If there are other infusions/pushes you would use 96361 (if hydration is done at same time as infusion it cannot be coded)

As I said above, there must be a stop time in order to code hydration and it must be for at least 31 minutes to count