tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2003 Issue 4

Reader Question: Bill Separately for Physician-Inserted IV Needle?

Question: If the nurse can't start an IV on a pediatric (3-year-old) patient, can the surgeon report the service separately using 36489? South Carolina SubscriberAnswer: Code 36489* (Placement of central venous catheter [subclavian, jugular, or other vein] [e.g., for central venous pressure, hyperalimentation, hemodialysis, or chemotherapy]; percutaneous, over age 2) describes placement of a central line catheter terminating either in the subclavian, brachiocephalic, innominate or iliac veins or at the junction of one or more of these veins and the superior or inferior vena cavae, rather than a typical IV, which is usually placed in the back of...

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