37202 and use of infusion balloon

[sdodson]

I need some help on this one. If an infusion balloon, i.e. Atrium's Clearway, is used to infuse a vasodilator in an artery, can you use CPT 37202? These balloons are inflated at the lesion and the drugs are infused directly thru the balloon into the vessel. Some of the drugs used are: nitroprusside, verapamil, and IIb3A inhibitors. If not 37202, then what CPT code? It takes less than 30 minutes to infuse and the balloon is removed. Please help!

[dpumford]

In looking at the coders desk reference book it states: catheter travels to the
point of vasospas's & drugs are infused to reduce spasms. It does not state what kind of catheter or how long it must take, sooo! I can't see why 37202 would not be appropriate. I am assuming this is non-coronary.

Hope this helps!

Any other ideas out there????

[sdodson]

Thanks for the reply. That would be correct...non-coronary. Some payers are saying it is not chargeable. Also a letter from CMS that just came out states it is payable in one paragraph, but in the following paragraph states it is not....at least that is how I read it.

[dhuston]

Infusion of verapamil is coded with 37202 for cerebral vasospasm. Infusion of nitroglycerin (sp?) is not billable. I don't know about IIb3A inhibitors. There's a different code if you do balloon angioplasty to treat vasospasm and that's 61640-61642.

Diane Huston, CPC,RCC