Wiki injection and licocaine

[NEOSM507]

Good afternoon,

Is lidocaine included in an injection (20610) or is it payable separately?

 

[CodingKing]

Lido for local anesthesia is not separately reportable.

 

[NEOSM507]

would you be able to provide a reference that I can present to my physicians?

 

[Melissa Harris CPC]

Most insurances will not pay for lidocaine. Check with your carriers. No Fault and Workers Comp do pay for it however.

Melissa Harris, CPC
The Albany and Saratoga Centers for Pain Management

 

[CodingKing]

Look at the guidelines from the AMA in the CPT book at the beginning of the surgery section.

[FONT=&quot]CPT Surgical Package Definition[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]By their very nature, the services to any patient are variable. The CPT codes that represent a readily identifiable surgical procedure thereby include, on a procedure-by-procedure basis, a variety of services. In defining the specific services “included” in a given CPT surgical code, the following services related to the surgery when furnished by the physician or other qualified health care professional who performs the surgery are included in addtion to the operation per se:[/FONT]

• Evaluation and Management (E/M) service(s) subsequent to the decision for surtery on the day before and/or day of surgery (including history and physical)
• Local infiltration, metacarpal/metatarsal/digital block or topical anesthesia
• Immediate postoperative care, including dictating operative notes, talking with the family and other physicians or other qualified health care professionals
• Writing orders
• Evaluating the patient in the postanesthesia recovery area
• Typical postoperative follow-up care