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Oncology & Hematology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

96446 Has MUE of 1

Published on Mon Jul 11, 2011

Question: If the patient receives three hours of intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy (single chemotherapy drug), should I report one unit or three units of the administration code?Codify MemberAnswer: To report the IP administration, you should claim a single unit of 96446 (Chemotherapy administration into the peritoneal cavity via indwelling port or catheter). This code definition is not based on administration time.Additionally, you'll find that CMS has a Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE) of 1 for 96446. That means that if you report more than one unit of 96446, Medicare will deny that line item.
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