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Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Aetna Allows Fluoro Guidance With Injections

Published on Fri Nov 19, 2004

If your neurosurgeon uses fluoroscopic guidance for needle placement during spinal or paraspinal injections, you may now report the fluoroscopic guidance and expect separate payment from Aetna, a major insurer.

Effective Aug. 15, 2004, Aetna will allow practices to report 76005 (Fluoroscopic guidance and localization of needle or catheter tip for spine or paraspinous diagnostic or therapeutic injection procedures [epidural, transforaminal epidural, subarachnoid, paravertebral facet joint, paravertebral facet joint nerve or sacroiliac joint], including neurolytic agent destruction) with spinal and paraspinal injections (such as 64470-64476). The only exceptions occur when the procedure's descriptor includes imaging or when the physician uses the fluoroscopy to facilitate more intense imaging.

Aetna did not announce any plans to reimburse retroactively for previously denied claims.
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