Anesthesia Coding Alert
Report Tendon Sheath Injections with 20550
Question: I’m new to pain management, but it seems like I’m always coding for a tendon sheath or ligament injection. What codes should I be reporting? Louisiana Subscriber Answer: Tendon sheath and ligament injections are among the most common administered because they’re used to treat conditions such as trigger finger, tennis elbow, Achilles tendonitis, and distal bicep tendonitis. You should file the claim with 20550 (Injection(s); single tendon sheath, or ligament, aponeurosis (eg, plantar “fascia”)). “Your provider can perform these injections on any tendon sheath in the body,” says Nate Felt, MS, ATC, PTA, CPC, senior consultant of Intermountain Medical Group in Salt Lake City. “A tendon sheath is a layer of synovial membrane around a tendon. It permits the tendon to stretch and not adhere to the surrounding fascia.” Because of this, any tendons in any anatomical area are potential 20550 targets. One Local Coverage Determination (LCD) reports more than 500 ICD-10 codes that are approved for 20550, so check your local guidelines before assigning a diagnosis. Some of the most common are: Note: This is not a definitive list. Check your LCDs for to discover acceptable diagnoses for 20550.
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Report Tendon Sheath Injections with 20550
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