Cardiology Question for the Week of March 5, 2018

Question:

When is 92961 used? If a patient with an implantable cardiac defibrillator (ICD) is cardioverted for atrial fib, is this the appropriate code to use?

Answer:

If you are asking whether you can charge 92961 for defibrillation done by the implanted ICD, the answer is no. Code 92961 requires vascular access and placing catheters into the heart specifically for cardioversion.

The November 2000 issue of CPT Assistant provides detailed information and a clinical vignette about code 92961, which was added to CPT^® in 2000 to report internal cardioversion—a procedure that is most commonly used to convert atrial fibrillation to normal sinus rhythm when external cardioversion is unsuccessful. Internal cardioversion requires vascular access, placement of catheters into the heart under fluoroscopic guidance, and a much greater knowledge of electrophysiology procedures.

Another important guideline about the code comes from the 2018 CPT book, which says the following: “(Do not report 92961 in conjunction with 93282–93284, 93287, 93289, 93295, 93296, 93618–93624, 93631, 93640–93642, 93650, 93653–93657, 93662).”

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