Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: We have an ongoing debate in our office about the correct anesthesia code to report for 64483. We've been using 01992 because 64483 represents a transforaminal nerve block instead of a simple spinal injection. Why does the ASA's Crosswalk tell us to use 01936?Connecticut Subscriber Answer: Code 64483 (Injection[s], anesthetic agent and/or steroid, transforaminal epidural, with imaging guidance [fluoroscopy or CT]; lumbar or sacral, single level) crosses to anesthesia code 01936 (Anesthesia for percutaneous image guided procedures on the spine and spinal cord; therapeutic) because the provider administers a transforaminal injection under fluoroscopic guidance. The descriptor explains exactly what happens in a transforaminal injection. When the CPT® code descriptor for 64483 changed to include fluoroscopic guidance, the correct cross-code changed from 01992 (Anesthesia for diagnostic or therapeutic nerve blocks and injections [when block or injection is performed by a different provider]; prone position) to 01936. Note that before reporting [...]