Better Reimbursements With Central Venous Access Billing

Make sure that you’re using the proper medical billing codes when reporting CVA services, if you’re not using CPT codes 76937 and 75998, you may not be getting the full reimbursement for this service.

If a physician performs an ultrasound guided procedure, the code 76937 will give additional money for the procedure. This code means: ultrasound guidance for vascular access requiring ultrasound evaluation of potential access sites, documentation of selected vessel patency, concurrent real-time ultrasound visualization of vascular needle entry. This means 76937 can be billed separately from the CVA placement code. One thing to note is that this code is only allowed one time per session in medical billing no matter how many sites were examined for the best entry. The CPT code 76937 should not be used if an ultrasound is used to only identify a vein to mark on the skin. The ultrasound must be used for medical billing purposes to guide a needle into the vein.

The other code used in medical billing to provide additional CVA payment is 75998. This is used for fluoroscopic guidance. This code is used when fluoroscopic guidance is needed to assist catheter placement or manipulation. It is reimbursed separately from the placement itself. It is important to note that any injection used to contrast the catheter’s path is included in the CPT 75998.

Both of these CPT codes in medical billing require the use of modifier 26. Modifier 26 is only necessary when a surgeon is reporting in a facility. 26 means professional component. This allows the facility to medically bill separately for the equipment itself.

Make sure that your practice is getting the reimbursements possible on your medical billing. If you’re not, it may be time to consider outsourcing your medical billing claims to a third party that will make sure every procedure you perform for a patient gets a maximum reimbursement!

View all Articles by: Kathryn Etienne, CCS-P