New Codes for Peritoneal Cavity Chemo and Interstitial Device Placement

If your oncology practice provides chemotherapy into the peritoneal cavity using an indwelling port or catheter, your task will get a lot easier with effect from January 1 next year.

Here's why?

The American Medical Association (AMA) has announced the CPT 2011 codes, and they include a code specific to that service: 96446 (Chemotherapy administration into the peritoneal cavity through indwelling port or catheter).

You will also have new codes describing placement of interstitial devices for radiation therapy guidance, such as the following:

+49327 -- Laparoscopy, surgical; with placement of interstitial device(s) for radiation therapy guidance (for instance, fiducial markers, dosimeter), intra-abdominal, intrapelvic, and/or retroperitoneum, including imaging guidance, if carried out, single or multiple (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

+49412 -- Placement of interstitial device(s) for radiation therapy guidance (for instance fiducial markers, dosimeter), open, intra-abdominal, intrapelvic, and/or retroperitoneum, including image guidance, if carried out, single or multiple (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure)

57156 -- Insertion of a vaginal radiation afterloading apparatus for clinical brachytherapy.

Evaluation /Management (E/M) service: Subsequent day observation care will also get new codes (99224-99226), reportable per day. Pay special attention to these codes as they will change the way you code an observation stay longer than forty eight hours.

Source Code:- www.supercoder.com/coding-newsletters/my-oncology-hematology-coding-alert/cpt-2011-update-expect-new-codes-for-peritoneal-cavity-chemo-and-interstitial-device-placement-article