by Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth
Aug 16th, 2018
Question
Are there any alternative procedure codes for billing mechanical massage (e.g., muscle master vibromassage, genie rub, etc)? I know that 'by the book' mechanical devices are not covered under 97124, but wondered if you have suggested a go-around code. Personally, I haven't unless they can show/document some type of myofascial, trigger point, or joint tissue work/benefit.
Answer
ChiroCode has never recommended billing separately for mechanical massage. If it gets coded at all, the most applicable code that could be used would be an unlisted code - 97039. However, the code really doesn't matter because payers simply won't pay for it. If the provider is doing myofascial release or trigger point work, it must be "manual" to satisfy the requirements for 97140, so I don't think that the use of a vibracussor would count since the machine is doing everything. It is just a nice adjunct service.
About Wyn Staheli, Director of Content - innoviHealth
Wyn Staheli is the Director of Content Research for innovHealth. She has over 30 years of experience in the healthcare industry. With her degree in Management Information Systems (MIS), she has been a programmer for a large insurance carrier as well as a California hospital system. She is also the author and editor of many medical resource books and the founder of InstaCode Institute.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com