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Tip: Master the pain management injection procedures newly covered by Medicare

Medicare has added four pain management codes to the ASC list of covered procedures, effective January 1, 2009. The new codes are as follows:

Code 64448—Injection, anesthetic agent; femoral nerve, continuous infusion by catheter (including catheter placement). The American Medical Association (AMA) revised this code’s verbiage slightly for 2009. Although code 64447 (single injection of an anesthetic agent in the femoral nerve) was on the Medicare covered procedure list for 2008, code 64448 was not. However, Medicare will reimburse $147.32 for code 64448 in 2009.
Code 64449—Injection, anesthetic agent; lumbar plexus, posterior approach, continuous infusion by catheter (including catheter placement). AMA revised this code’s verbiage for 2009. Medicare will reimburse $289.48 for code 64449 in 2009.
Code 64455—Injection(s) anesthetic agent and/or steroid, plantar common digital nerve(s) (e.g., Morton’s neuroma). This is a new CPT code for 2009. Medicare will reimburse a low $18.75 for this code, so you might want to consider only performing this procedure as an add-on to other procedures that reimburse at a higher rate.
Code 64632—Destruction by neurolytic agent of the plantar common digital nerve. This is a new CPT code for 2009. Medicare will reimburse only $34.26 for this code, so you might want to consider only performing this procedure as an add-on to other procedures that reimburse at a higher rate.

This tip is brought to you by Ellis Medical Consulting, Inc.