If a physician performs a 2.5-hour functional cortical and subcortical mapping by stimulation and re-cording of electrodes on the brain surface, is it appropriate to report CPT code 95961 (REVISED IN 2013), Functional cortical and subcortical mapping by stimulation and/or recording of electrodes on brain surface, or of depth electrodes, to pro-voke seizures or identify vital brain structures; initial hour of physician attendance, for the initial hour, and CPT code 95962 (REVISED IN 2013), each additional hour of physician attendance (List separately in addition to code for primary proce-dure), twice for the additional 1.5 hours? ...

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Note:  The following article synopsis was NOT provided by the AMA. It was created by Find-A-Code/innoviHealth.

Article Overview

This article is aimed at coding professionals and clinicians who need to understand how physician-attendance time is reported for functional cortical and subcortical mapping procedures. It discusses CPT-based guidance for a time-based service, including how partial hours are handled and how totals are interpreted for reporting purposes. The article is relevant when reviewing operative documentation and determining whether the documented duration supports the reported CPT units.

Why This Topic Matters

Accurate time-based reporting affects compliant claims submission and consistent application of CPT guidance for neurology and neurosurgery-related procedures. Understanding this topic helps reduce reporting errors when physician attendance extends beyond the initial hour.

Codes Discussed

• CPT: 95961
• CPT: 95962

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