Pediatric Coding Alert

Question: I’m hoping you can provide clarification on the appropriate date of service (DOS) when reporting the new 2020 professional component electroencephalogram (EEG) CPT^® codes. Historically, CMS guidance has been to report the date the physician performs/documents their professional interpretation service. However, one of our physicians was recently told to report the date of service based on when the EEG recording occurred. Which is correct?

Ohio Subscriber

Answer: Any service that is reported is only reported with the date when it is performed. This may not have anything to do with when a test or procedure was performed. A DOS is solely dependent on the date when the provider performs their part of the service.

In other words, if your provider performs the professional service component of 95717 (Electroencephalogram (EEG), continuous recording, physician or other qualified health care professional review of recorded events, analysis of spike and seizure detection, interpretation and report …), the DOS would be regarded as the date your provider reviewed, interpreted, and reported the events, not when the EEG recording was made.

This has not changed with the introduction of the new professional component EEG codes (95717-95726) and remains consistent among all similar codes, such as the electrocardiogram (ECG) codes 93000 (Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with at least 12 leads; with interpretation and report) and 93010 (Electrocardiogram, routine ECG with at least 12 leads; interpretation and report only).