Radiology CPT 70450 and 70496

[sondra hayden]

If the patient had a CT brain ordered and performed without contrast and then brought back to Radiology at a later time that same day, would the service be accurately coded as 70450 and a 70496? I am considering 70470 to report both. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[thomas7331]

70470 would not be a correct code to represent the two procedures because 70450 and 70470 are CTs, but 70496 is a CT angiography. If these two had been done at the same session, you would just report 70496 since 70450 is a component code of 70496. But since the two procedures were performed at separate sessions, you can report both codes and append a modifier to 70450 - I would use modifier XE if these were separate encounters, or XU if they were separate procedures during the same admission.

 

[naveenmokide]

If CT Brain without contrast (70450) in one session and same day with same physician CT Brain with contrast (70460) on different session we can combine and code 70470. if they are performing CT Brain and CTA Brain on same time and same reason we can code only CTA Brain as 70496 . if they are performing CT Brain and CTA Brain on different time and different reason we can code CT Brain and CTA Brain and appropriate modifier to 70450 either XE or 59 modifier.

 

[Nguyenc08]

70496 includes ANY noncontrast imaging performed during the same session, whether for localization or diagnostic. Be careful before you use modifier XU - it has to clearly meet a criteria to be separately reported. If you do a CT scan before the CTA on the same visit with no new findings, 70450 is bundled to 70496. But for XU, for example, you did a CT scan prior to CTA scan and found a tumor, THEN , will the XU modifier be significant enough to append to 70450. The treating physician must have a completely separate document to report 70450-XU.

 

[Caleb1788]

So what if you come across a claim that hit edits where both a 70450 and 70496 were done same day at different times, normally you would put the XE on the 70450, but what if the 70496 was delayed and dropped in later, after the 70450 already got was sent out? Now seeing this I would do a charge correction to get the XE added to the 70450, but I was wondering if it would be possible/plausible to add the XE to the 70496 instead?