I really don't know very much IVR. My relationship has been limited. I know most procedures by seeing them but I am unsure of a few that look like they may just be diagnostic. I code for radiology but I am not allowed to code for IVR due to lack of experience. My problem is that I don't want to accidentally code something. Is a CTA considered IVR? I guess I was wondering if there is a list of codes somewhere that would encompass codes that w/out a doubt are always IVR. Also, what would I look for in a CTA that might make it IVR? Just want to make sure I don't overlook anything. Thank you for any direction.
I think of it this way:
There are two disciplines of radiology, Diagnostic and Interventional, though they often overlap.
1) Diagnostic Radiology involves performing radiological test such as xrays, ct's, mri's, angiographies etc, and interpreting the same.
2) Interventional Radiology involves treatment of injuries/anomalies and disease processes identified by diagnostic tests. This includes Embolizations of aneurysm's and ruptured vessels, Stent placements and Angioplasties, Atherectomies and other such procedures.
So, a CTA is diagnostic test, not an intervention, though it may be part of an Interventional encounter. Angiography is where the two disciplines frequently mesh. As for a list of purely interventional codes vs diagnostic codes, not really there, but any percutaneous codes would most likely fall in the inverventional cateogory. This includes but is not limited to:
Catheter placements 36120-36248, 36000-36012,36481,
Biliary codes 47500-47556
Nephrostomies 50390-50393 (and many more)
Transcatheter therapies 37200-37205, 61623-61635
This should give you an idea.
HTH