Wiki Vaccine Challenge for Adverse Effects to Flu Vaccine

[Coral Denham]

Hi, I am wondering if anyone knows how to bill for this scenario. Our Allergist did a vaccine challenge on a patient who had had a previous adverse effect to the influenza vaccine.

The patient was tested with 2 vials of flu vaccine (same lot/same expiration date)
Prick to Histamine. Wait 10-15 min.
ID to Normal Saline control & ID of Flu 1:100 wait 15 minutes
Then with alternating 02 Stats 94761
IM 0.05 ml of flu 1:10 Wait 10 minutes
IM 0.05 ml of flu 1:1 Wait 10 minutes
IM 0.10 ml of flu 1:1 Wait 15 minutes
IM 0.20 ml of flu 1:1 Wait 15 minutes
IM 0.35 ml of flu 1:1 Wait 30 minutes

My question is this, I know we can bill 95018 for the challenge and 90662 for the High Dose Flu Vaccine. We actually used two vials for the trail. Could we bill for both of them? I am wondering how we would bill for the intramuscular graded doses of vaccine. My provider likes the idea of billing as 96372 as there was never a complete vaccine given at any one time. Could we bill with 5 units?

Does anyone know of any website or area that goes over billing for vaccine challenges? I have looked in the CPT Assistant and have not really found anything.

Any help would be appreciated.

Coral

 

[SharonCollachi]

Do you do challenges to other substances? If so, wouldn't it be coded the same way?

 

[Coral Denham]

HI Sharon,

We do ingestion challenge tests (95076-95079) but this is the first vaccine challenge we have done. Any advice would be appreciated.