Neurology & Pain Management Coding Alert

Staying with basic 99211 might be safest option.If you're shaky on how to report Gilenya (fingolimod) as a first-line treatment for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis (MS, ICD-9 code 340), you're not alone. Gilenya questions have circulated ever since the FDA approved the drug in September 2010. Check our answers to three of the most common questions coders have so you'll be ready when your neurologist offers the initial treatment dose to patients.1. What's the Best HCPCS Code?"Gilenya is newly approved by the FDA, so there's no HCPCS code for the drug," says Catherine Nolin, CPC, a specialty based coder with Central Main Medical Center in Lewiston.Result: Your only HCPCS choice currently is J3490 (Unclassified drugs), but verify details before submitting the code. Physicians sometimes write a prescription so patients can obtain and purchase the medication from a local or specialty pharmacy before coming to the office for administration. In [...]