Cisplatin, Cyclophosphamide, and Vincristine Most Affected

HCPCS 2011 code-set has a number of deletions, streamling your drug coding choices. Most affected are cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine.

The just-released HCPCS 2011 code-set has a number of deletions, streamling your drug coding choices. Among the most affected are cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine.

The good news is that this change should simplify billing, more so if the system your practice or facility uses like Pyxis or Lynx, limits you to a single code and billable unit for a drug.

Watch out: These HCPCS (http://www.supercoder.com/hcpcs-codes) changes have a positive side, however there are always considerations that'll arise. For instance, if your practice uses different sizes, you'll need to be alert for the different and specific national drug code (NDC) numbers for the agent dispensed to the patient when you send a claim to a payer who needs NDC information.

For cisplatin, stick to J9060

Cisplatin, ordered particularly for patients with metastatic testicular or ovarian neoplasms, or advanced bladder cancers, is one of the many agents impacted by the HCPCS 2011 shake-up.

Revision work: HCPCS 2011 will make a small wording revision to J9060.

2010: J9060 -- Injection, cisplatin, powder or solution, per 10 mg

2011: J9060 -- Injection, cisplatin, powder or solution, 10 mg.

Code J9062 (Cisplatin, 50 mg) will no longer be available for use in the new year. You should go for J9060 to report cisplatin, brand name Platinol, when supplied for 2011 dates of service.

For cyclophosphamide, J9070 comes out on top

At 1 unit per 100 mg, J9070 (Cyclophosphamide, 100 mg) won the role of the single option for coding cyclophosphamide injection supply.

J9080-J9097 go to the chopping block in 2011.

Vincristine Codes J9375 and J9380 feature in deleted list

Oncologists may order vincristine (Vincasar PFS) for patients with leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, soft-tissue tumors, and neuroblastoma, among others. You will be reporting vincristine per milligram in the new year.