Q/A: Bilateral code changes
APCs Insider, May 4, 2012
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Q: Did CMS revise the list of bilateral codes in the OPPS April update?
A: Yes. CMS removed CPT® code 36000 (introduction of needle or intracatheter, vein) from the conditionally-bilateral list. CMS also removed these two codes from the inherently-bilateral list and added them to the conditionally-bilateral list:
- 64613: Chemodenervation of muscle(s): muscle(s) innervated by facial nerve
- 64614: Chemodenervation of muscle(s): cervical spinal muscle(s)
When a provider performs a conditionally bilateral service bilaterally, coders must append modifier -50 (bilateral procedure) to the code. If a code is inherently bilateral, coders should not append modifier -50 when the service is performed bilaterally.
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