Wiki Stimulator Trickle Charge

[ardellt]

What can you bill when a patient comes in for reprogramming and there is no charge in their stimulator, and a trickle charge is done for many hours in the office. The provider is not with patient the whole time, but continues to check on the patient and the stimulator. Are codes 95972 and 95973 a possibility??

 

[dwaldman]

Per a private response I received from the AMA CPT Network, where I described in my question the manfacturerer's rep arriving at the patient's appointment and the physician "present and available" to assist while the manufacturer rep uses the computer or hand held device to program the IPG. Was this a reported service with 95972.

Their response was that CPT codes are for reporting for services providing by physician and non physician providers. And that it would be inappropriate to report for a service provided by manufactuer's tech.