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Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Reader Question:

69801-52 Includes Multiple Treatments

Published on Thu Sep 18, 2003

Question: When a patient requires a second Decadron injection during a labyrinthotomy 90-day postoperative period, how should I bill for the subsequent injection?

New Jersey Subscriber Answer: You should not separately bill for the second Decadron injection. The code descriptor for the original perfusion procedure (69801-52, Labyrinthotomy, with or without cryosurgery including other nonexcisional destructive procedures or perfusion of vestibuloactive drugs [single or multiple perfusions]; transcanal; reduced services) specifies "single or multiple perfusions." Therefore, 69801-52 includes the second injection. CPT emphasizes that you should not separately report additional 69801-52 treatments. "Code 69801-52 includes all required infusions performed on initial and subsequent days of treatment," CPT states.
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