Surgery: Nervous System (Q&A) (August 2010)

August 2010 page 12 Surgery: Nervous System Question: If a single injection is performed for a thoracic intercostal nerve block, the effect of which is to block multiple intercostals nerves, is it appropriate to report CPT code 64421 , Injection, anesthetic agent; intercostal nerves, multiple, regional block , or is the provider limited to reporting CPT code 64420 , Injection, anesthetic agent; intercostal nerve, single? Answer: “Single” injection refers to a single nerve block, so code 64420 should be reported. However, if only one needle is placed into the skin but manipulated up and down to inject into more than one...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article presents question-and-answer guidance from CPT Assistant on nervous system-related procedural coding. It addresses how to think about reporting certain intercostal nerve blocks, lumbar facet and cervical/thoracic facet injection services, and an extracorporeal photopheresis procedure. The piece is aimed at coding professionals seeking to understand the scope of CPT coding guidance discussed in this issue.

Why This Topic Matters

The article helps coders and billers recognize which CPT code families are discussed in a nervous system coding Q&A and how the topic is framed in the context of reporting procedural services. It is useful for readers evaluating whether the article covers nerve block, facet injection, or photopheresis coding guidance relevant to their specialty or workflow.

Article Sections

  1. Thoracic intercostal nerve block reporting

    Discussion of reporting considerations for thoracic intercostal nerve block services and how the scenario is framed in CPT Assistant.

  2. Lumbar medial branch and facet injection reporting

    Discussion of lumbar and cervical/thoracic facet-related injection topics, including how the article organizes the related CPT guidance.

  3. Photopheresis, extracorporeal

    Overview of extracorporeal photopheresis as discussed in the Q&A article and its general clinical context.

What You Will Learn

  • Which procedural topics are addressed in the article
  • How the article frames reporting questions for nerve block and facet injection services
  • What general clinical context is provided for extracorporeal photopheresis
  • Which CPT code families are discussed in the Q&A

Who Should Read This

  • Medical coders
  • Coding auditors
  • Billing staff
  • Reimbursement professionals
  • Clinical documentation specialists

Codes Discussed

Code Ranges Discussed


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