Hi Stone6401,
In response to your question, the answer is yes. They can bill VNS interrogations only as long as the providers documents the VNS' current settings and that it was an interrogation only. See the information that I have noted below as this is the CPT that we use in office to bill for both VNS and DBS interrogations. Also note that when billing the 95974 the provider must document their time spent on programming and they must have also made changes more than 3 parameters if they spent 30 minutes or less than you must apply the 52 modifier to the 95974. If 3 or fewer parameters have been adjusted than you will bill 95971.
95970-Electronic analysis of implanted neurostimulator pulse generator
system (e.g., rate, pulse amplitude, pulse duration, configuration of
wave form, battery status, electrode selectability, output modulation,
cycling, impedance and patient compliance measurements); simple
or complex brain, spinal cord, or peripheral (i.e., cranial nerve,
peripheral nerve, autonomic nerve, neuromuscular) neurostimulator
pulse generator/transmitter, without reprogramming.
Hope you find this information helpful,
spettyjohn