Specialty Groups — Oncology
Medical Oncology Code Changes
Radiation Oncology Code Update
Although there are not a lot of changes for radiation oncology coding in 2005, a few key codes have been altered or added to the CPT Manual.
| 77418 | Intensity modulated treatment delivery, single or multiple fields/arcs, via narrow spatially and temporally modulated beams, binary, dynamic MLC, per treatment session |
| This code descriptor was updated for 2005 to ensure that it is reported only for IMRT treatment performed with MLC blocking. If compensator-based IMRT is performed, the correct procedure code would be: | |
| 0073T | Compensator-based beam modulation treatment delivery of inverse planned treatment using three or more high resolution (milled or cast) compensator convergent beam modulated fields, per treatment session |
| In addition, there were changes to nuclear medicine procedure codes that may be reported by radiation oncology departments: | |
| 79005 |
Radiopharmaceutical therapy, by oral administration (this code is used for oral I-131 thyroid therapy) |
| 79101 |
Radiopharmaceutical therapy, by intravenous administration (this code is used for Strontium therapy) |
| 79445 | Radiopharmaceutical therapy, by intra-articular particulate administration (this code is used for intra-arterial radiotherapy for liver metastases) |
| Additional information regarding all changes to CPT procedure codes for the 2005 calendar year is located in CPT Changes: An Insider’s View 2005 which is available for purchase from the American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org). | |
Cindy C. Parman, CPC, CPC-H
principal and co-founder of Coding Strategies, Inc. in Atlanta, GA. Cindy is a current member of the Advisory Board for the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and a faculty instructor for AMA Solutions, a subsidiary of the American Medical Association. She serves as the Consulting Editor of the Radiology Coding Alert and is on the Editorial Advisory Board of General Surgery Coding Alert and Pain Management Coding Alert.