Cardiology Coding Alert

Question: My CPT manual lists "for procedure, use ..." notes with many supervision and interpretation (S&I) codes. Butthere isn't a note with 75940. Does that mean 75940 covers the procedure and S&I?

Answer: No. CPT's Radiology section guidelines indicate that CPT intends you to report S&I codes to indicate the radiological portion of the procedure. The physician who performs the surgical portion of the procedure, reports a separate code for the surgical portion. If the same physician performs both portions, she may report both codes.

CPT doesn't always list the matching surgical code with the S&I code, however. For an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter, look to placement code 37620 (Interruption, partial or complete, of inferior vena cava by suture, ligation, plication, clip, extravascular, intravascular [umbrella device]).

Don't forget: AMA's CPT Assistant (May 2001) states that you also may report 36010 (Introduction of catheter, superior or inferior vena cava) for catheterization performed before IVC filter deployment.

Remember to append modifier 26 (Professional component) to 75940 (Percutaneous placement of IVC filter, radiological supervision and interpretation) if the physician is not claiming the technical component.