#Ipack nerve block cpt code code#
However, not all of these standard nerve blocks have codes for each of these options.įor example, for the interscalene block for shoulder procedures, CPT code 64415, single injection of the brachial plexus is coded, and CPT code 64416 is the corresponding code for a catheter insertion. A billing and coding team that is attuned to acute pain management changes and strategies to ensure proper payment helps greatly in this regard.įor most of the recognized and accepted nerve block modalities, the CPT code list generally includes specific codes for the following delivery options: However, unlisted procedure codes are seldom reimbursed by many carriers. These "unlisted" services are often billed using CPT code 64999 (Unlisted Procedures of the Nervous System). As a result, payers must often manually adjudicate the coding and billing of many of the acute pain management services for which a CPT code is not yet available. The AMA revises and updates the CPT codes annually, but the CPT code list often does not keep pace with the creation and adoption of new acute pain management approaches and techniques within the specialty. Providing this information to your coding and billing partner will help ensure proper payment.Ĭomplicating the ever-evolving billing and coding scenario is the fact that many of the relatively new nerve block approaches have yet to be recognized and included in the CPT code list.
Please note that three main pieces of information are needed to bill a nerve block for postoperative pain management: This creates an ongoing challenge for billing and coding professionals to ensure that billing and coding not only accurately reflect surgical complexity and anesthesia time, but also capture the appropriate CPT code(s) for the acute pain management service or services provided. However, payment for nerve blocks (often performed with ultrasonic guidance) is made according to the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT ®) Fee Schedule in a manner similar to most other medical procedures. A uniqueness of anesthesia billing is that most anesthesia charges are calculated based on the difficulty of the surgical procedure and the amount of time required to manage the anesthetic.
Steady innovation within the specialty has yielded many new safe and effective nerve block approaches and modalities, including the quadratus lumborum and IPACK blocks (see below).Īs new nerve block techniques and approaches emerge, coding and billing for acute pain management services evolve as well. Most anesthesia practices have found that nerve blocks for acute pain management provide a valuable opportunity to improve postsurgical outcomes, enhance the quality and safety of care, and increase patient satisfaction. While this innovation benefits patients, it also creates billing and coding challenges and underscores the importance of having a billing partner that understands this area and stays current with changes in the CPT® Codebook. New approaches and techniques are emerging all the time. The growing use of nerve blocks for acute pain management is helping anesthesiologists improve the quality and safety of patient care.
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