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Podiatry Coding & Billing Alert

You Be The Coder:

Know When to Call on 64455 or 64632

Published on Sat Jan 23, 2010

Question: When would 64455 be appropriate when treating nerve pain and when would 64632 be more appropriate? Can you delineate the difference between the two codes? Also, how many times can I report each per day for the same patient? Wisconsin Subscriber Answer: To determine the correct code, check your physician's treatment plan. If he injects a steroid or anesthetic agent for pain relief, report 64455. If he takes treatment to the next level, however, and administers an injection to destroy the nerve (sometimes called chemodenervation), you'll submit 64632 instead. According to CPT Changes 2009: An Insider's View, you report 64455 only one time per session, regardless of the number of injections your physician administers; the same holds true for 64632. Both 64455 (Injection[s], anesthetic agent and/or steroid, plantar common digital nerve[s] [eg, Morton's neuroma]) and 64632 (Destruction by neurolytic agent; plantar common digital nerve) come into play when your [...]
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