General Question for the Week of February 15, 2021

Question:

We have a question regarding the requirement, if any, for the technique in an MRI report. Sometimes we don’t get any technique, but here are some examples of what we are getting: “TECHNIQUE: MRI of the right knee was performed before and after the uneventful intravenous administration of 12/17 mL ProHance.” “TECHNIQUE: MR images were obtained of the left hip without intravenous or intra-articular contrast.” Should we be insisting on a description of the images that were obtained?

Answer:

For billing purposes, you don’t need to know the particular MRI sequences or images that were done. You only need to know that an MRI of xxx body area was done and whether it was done with, without, or without and with IV, intrathecal, or intra-articular contrast. There are no required “elements” for MRI as there is for ultrasound, so the technique does not need to be as specific.