Compliance Question of the Week – Cardiology

Can we bill the following injection codes for drug administration during a cardiac catheterization procedure?

96373 Therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic injection (specify substance or drug); intra-arterial
96374 Therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic injection (specify substance or drug); intravenous push, single or initial substance/drug

In the instance when more than one site in the same vessel is treated with percutaneous transluminal coronary thrombectomy (+92973), is it appropriate to report for each site treated?

Is 93567 the appropriate code for the evaluation an aortic dissection without a cardiac catheterization?

If a patient is brought to the cardiac cath lab and only bypass grafts were visualized (for example, SVG [saphenous vein graft] to the right coronary artery [RCA], and SVG to the circumflex) with no native coronary arteries being injected or imaged, what is the appropriate CPT procedure to code/charge?

For Medicare claims, what condition codes should hospitals report for device-replacement procedures that occur from a recall or premature failure (whether the device is provided at no cost or with a credit)?

Can we charge for two kissing balloons when one is for a lesion and one is for protection of a stent but no lesion? The internal iliac had a lesion, and the external iliac had a stent that needed protection. Would the codes be 37220 and 37222?

If a temporary pacemaker lead is inserted during a diagnostic heart cath, is it appropriate to charge for this lead placement if the patient does not leave the procedure room with it (the pacemaker lead)?

This is a follow-up to the answer to last week’s (5-29-2018) cardiology question regarding claims for replacement ICDs (implantable cardioverter defibrillators) that were denied because they didn’t have a modifier. The provider asked whether they could request an adjustment for these, and you replied, “Yes, you may request an adjustment for claims for any date of service for which the replacement ICD was otherwise covered (as long as the claim was denied solely because it lacked a QR modifier).”

Don’t you mean a Q0 modifier (investigational clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study)? We have been using Q0 per CMS direction for two years now—ever since our EP program began placing ICDs, and we have had no issues. Please clarify why you believe a QR still applies.

We have had claims for replacement ICDs denied because they didn’t have a modifier. Can we request an adjustment for these?

Can an endarterectomy be coded separately?

Can you explain the steps involved in ligating and dividing the long saphenous vein and the code choices for this procedure?

When a left heart catheterization is performed with coronary artery angiography but no left ventriculogram is performed, what is the proper coding?