CPT Code 64400: Trigeminal nerve block billing guide
CPT Code 64400 covers the injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid into the trigeminal nerve, targeting any of its three divisions: V1 (ophthalmic), V2 (maxillary), or V3 (mandibular). Billing errors for this code cluster around three points: modifier selection for bilateral procedures, same-day E/M bundling, and ICD-10 pairing for medical necessity. A single error […]
CPT Code 80305: Presumptive drug class screening billing guide
CPT Code 80305: Definition and clinical description CPT Code 80305 is the billing code for presumptive drug class screening performed by direct optical observation. According to the AMA CPT code set, this method detects the possible presence or absence of a drug class, not a specific drug or its metabolite. The result is typically read […]
CPT code 11308: Shaving of epidermal or dermal lesion over 2.0 cm
CPT code 11308 is a billing code for shaving a single epidermal or dermal lesion on the scalp, neck, hands, feet, or genitalia when the lesion measures more than 2.0 cm in diameter. It sits at the top of the scalp/neck/hands/feet/genitalia shaving series. In practice, missing lesion size, the wrong anatomic site, and a shave […]
CPT Code 11444: Benign lesion excision billing guide
CPT Code 11444 covers excision of a benign skin lesion, including margins, from the face, ears, eyelids, nose, lips, or mucous membrane, with a final excised diameter of 3.1 to 4.0 cm. Claims for this code are denied more often than for most other integumentary procedures, and the reason is rarely the procedure itself. The […]
CPT Code 26675: Closed treatment of carpometacarpal dislocation
CPT code 26675 is the code hand surgeons and emergency physicians report when they reduce a dislocated carpometacarpal joint by closed manipulation and the patient needs anesthesia to tolerate it. It sits in a small family of related codes – 26670, 26676, and 26685 – that differ by anesthesia use, added fixation, or an open […]
CPT Code 11042: Subcutaneous tissue debridement billing guide
CPT Code 11042 is the billing code for surgical debridement of subcutaneous tissue, including epidermis and dermis when performed, for the first 20 square centimeters of wound area. Add-on code 11045 covers each additional 20 sq cm, and the code sits within the broader 11042-11047 family that stratifies debridement by tissue depth. This guide covers […]
CPT Code 00604: Cervical spine anesthesia in sitting position
CPT code 00604 is the anesthesia code for cervical spine and cord procedures performed with the patient in the sitting, or beach chair, position. The position qualifier matters for billing because it carries 3 more ASA base units than sibling code 00600, and payers expect the anesthesia record to document the position explicitly before reimbursing […]
CPT code 11981: Insertion of drug-delivery implant (bioresorbable, biodegradable, non-biodegradable)
CPT code 11981 is the AMA’s billing code for insertion of a drug-delivery implant — bioresorbable, biodegradable, or non-biodegradable — under the descriptor the AMA revised effective January 1, 2022. The earlier descriptor covered non-biodegradable devices only; the update folded in dissolving implant types, most often billed for Nexplanon, testosterone pellets, and naltrexone implants. Correct […]
CPT Code 90791: Psychiatric diagnostic evaluation billing guide
CPT Code 90791 is the AMA’s designated code for a psychiatric diagnostic evaluation performed without a medical services component. It covers the initial comprehensive mental health assessment: gathering psychiatric history, conducting a mental status examination (MSE), establishing a diagnosis, and formulating a treatment plan. This guide covers eligible providers, documentation requirements, reimbursement rates, telehealth rules, […]
CPT code 11921: Corrective tattooing (micropigmentation), 6.1 to 20.0 sq cm
CPT code 11921 covers corrective tattooing (micropigmentation) to correct skin color defects across 6.1 to 20.0 sq cm — it is not a tattoo-removal code.