Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: My pulmonologist performed an albuterol treatment in the office. Can I bill for it?New Jersey SubscriberAnswer: Yes. You would use 94640 (Pressurized or nonpressurized inhalation treatment for acute airway obstruction or for sputum induction for diagnostic purposes [e.g., with an aerosol generator, nebulizer, metered dose inhaler or intermittent positive pressure breathing [IPBB] device]) with the appropriate HCPCS J code. In this case, you have four choices:J7611 (Albuterol, inhalation solution, FDA-approved final product, non-compounded, administered through DME, concentrated form, 1 mg),J7612 (Levalbuterol, inhalation solution, FDA-approved final product, non-compounded, administered through DME, concentrated form, 0.5 mg),J7613 (Albuterol, inhalation solution, FDA-approved final product, non-compounded, administered through DME, unit dose, 1 mg), orJ7614 (Levalbuterol, inhalation solution, FDA-approved final product, non-compounded, administered through DME, unit dose, 0.5 mg).Heads up: Don't forget to report the office visit for the evaluation and management service that took place which led the decision for the treatment. Most payers [...]