Billing / Fees / Insurance

New Codes for the New Year

Samuel A. Collins

Q I have been billing insurance for some time now, and I am aware that codes for diagnosis and procedures are updated each year. Are there any of which you are aware for 2009 that are applicable to acupuncture providers?

A I am very excited to note that last two major changes to diagnosis codes (2007 and 2009) included new codes for the diagnosis of pain and headaches. For 2009, there are 35 new and updated ICD-9 codes for headaches and three new CPT procedure codes for injections (note that there are states that do allow a certified or licensed acupuncturist to perform injections). The diagnosis update is as follows:

96372 Therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic injection (specify substance or drug); subcutaneous or intramuscular (replaces 90772)
96373 Therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic injection (specify substance or drug); intra-arterial (replaces 90773)
96379 Unlisted therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic intravenous or intra-arterial injection or infusion (replaces 90779)

307.80 Psychogenic pain, unspecified 339.44 Other complicated headache syndrome
307.89 Pain disorder related to psychological factors, other 339.81 Hypnic headache
339.00 Cluster headache syndrome, unspecified 339.82 Headache associated with sexual activity
339.01 Episodic cluster headache 339.83 Primary cough headache
339.03 Episodic paroxysmal hemicranias 339.84 Primary exertional headache
339.04 Chronic paroxysmal hemicranias 339.85 Primary stabbing headache
339.05 Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing 339.89 Other specified headache syndromes
339.09 Other trigeminal autonomic cephalgias 346.00 Migraine with aura
339.10 Tensio-type headache, unspecified 346.10 Migraine without aura
339.11 Episodic tension-type headache 346.20 Variants of migraine
339.12 Chronic tension-type headache 346.30 Hemiplegic migraine
339.20 Posttraumatic headache, unspecified 346.40 Menstrual migraine
339.21 Acute posttraumatic headache 346.50 Persistent migraine aura without cerebral infarction
339.22 Chronic posttraumatic headache 346.60 Persistent migraine aura with cerebral infarction
339.30 Drug-induced headache, not elsewhere classified 346.70 Chronic migraine with aura
339.41 Hemicrania continua 346.80 Other forms of migraine
339.42 New daily persistent headache 346.90 Migraine unspecified
339.43 Primary thunderclap headache

For more specific information on the ICD-9, you can visit the Center for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics Web site at www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh/ftpserv/ftpicd9/ftpicd9.htm#guidelines.

April 2009
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