Wiki Pain Blocks

[Melissa*Ever*Evolving]

Hello,
I recently started billing for a new physician and he has me a little confused.
I was pretty confident in thinking that when you bill for say a Femoral continuous catheter infusion, you cannot also bill the Femoral Single Block done in the same session.
Is my thinking correct? Or is there a possibility to report the femoral block + catheter infusion? If there are any references to this subject, please guide me in their direction.

Thank you in advance!
~Melissa

 

[heathpridgeon]

I agree

I agree that these would not be reported separately. The continuous infusion by catheter nerve block includes the initial local anesthetic however, according to United Healthcare's claim bundling logic tool, both services are allowable when using modifier 59 on the single nerve block. Your documentation would need to show that the single block was a distinctly separate service. That said I would still think that it would be inappropriate to report both.