A There are 2 procedure codes: 65779 Placement of amniotic membrane on the ocular surface; single layer, sutured 65780 Ocular surface reconstruction; amniotic membrane transplantation; multiple layers CPT further instructs: Do not report 65778, 65779 in conjunction with 65430, 65435, 65480
ICD-10 | H16.23 |
---|---|
INDICATION | Neurotrophic Keratoconjunctivitis |
ICD-10 | H18.52 |
INDICATION | Epithelial Corneal Dystrophy |
HCPCS code V2790 (amniotic membrane for surgical reconstruction, per procedure) is included in the allowance for CPT Codes 65778 and 65779. In an inpatient facility reimbursement for HCPCS code V2790 is included in the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) allowance.
Other specified disorders of amniotic fluid and membranes, unspecified trimester, not applicable or unspecified. O41.8X90 is a billable/specific ICD-10-CM code that can be used to indicate a diagnosis for reimbursement purposes.
D iagnostic and treatment technology has expanded significantly in the realm of dry eye disease (DED). Here, I discuss the common in-office procedures and diagnostic devices considered reimbursable. A reminder: Medical necessity drives coding. Code. CPT Code 65778 for both dry and cryopreserved amniotic membranes. Tips.
With respect to ocular surface disease (OSD), amniotic membranes are generally reserved for more advanced disease, as you are not treating the “dry eye,” but the corneal sequelae of the OSD, so medical necessity for this procedure would generally be established after the failure of other management strategies.
Amniotic membranes are newly engineered treatment options for difficult cases of dry eye disease. These membranes are ethically obtained stem cell tissues that provide the front surface of the eye with healing and regenerative properties.
Coding Guidelines For placement of amniotic membrane using tissue glue alone, use CPT code 66999. HCPCS code V2790 (amniotic membrane for surgical reconstruction, per procedure) is included in the allowance for CPT code 65778. Therefore, HCPCS code V2790 should not be billed separately when this code is billed.
Q What CPT code describes administration of PROKERA? A CPT code 65778 describes this procedure. In 2014, CPT amended the code descriptor for 65778 from the original, which had existed since 2011. The descriptor currently reads, “Placement of amniotic membrane on the ocular surface; without sutures”.
Amniotic membrane (AM) or amnion is a thin membrane on the inner side of the fetal placenta; it completely surrounds the embryo and delimits the amniotic cavity, which is filled by amniotic liquid.
Correct CPT code for Prokera65778 Placement of amniotic membrane on the ocular surface; without sutures; also known as AMT.65779 Placement of amniotic membrane on ocular surface; single layer, sutured.
The technique of amniotic membrane transplantation during pterygium surgery involves either peeling the abnormal tissue from the corneal side towards the conjunctiva or from the conjunctival side towards the cornea without damaging the underlying corneal tissue.
Prokera is the only FDA cleared therapeutic device that both reduces inflammation and promotes healing. In a dry eye study with 160 respondents, 95% said Prokera healed their eye, and 81% said it improved their vision.
PROKERA is a therapeutic device that simultaneously reduces inflammation on the surface of your eyes and promotes scarless healing of your cornea. PROKERA allows for easy insertion and removal of the device in your doctor's office.
Group 1CodeDescription65779PLACEMENT OF AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE ON THE OCULAR SURFACE; SINGLE LAYER, SUTURED65780OCULAR SURFACE RECONSTRUCTION; AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE TRANSPLANTATION, MULTIPLE LAYERSV2790AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE FOR SURGICAL RECONSTRUCTION, PER PROCEDURE2 more rows
The amniotic membrane surrounds and protects the developing fetus in utero and separates mother and fetus.
AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE ALLOGRAFTS Amniotic allograft solutions that support surgical wound treatment in spine, orthopedic and neurosurgery, and act as a barrier for external wounds, such as diabetic foot ulcers, venous leg ulcers, pressure ulcers and burns.
FDA regulations require that a sutureless amniotic membrane graft cannot stay on the eye for more than 29 days. That's not usually a concern with an AMG. In most cases, it will dissolve in five to 10 days depending on the severity of the condition.
CPT 92071 is defined as a “unilateral” service, so reimbursement is per eye. In 2021, the national Medicare Physician Fee Schedule allowable for 92071 is $37.34 in-office and $32.80 in a facility. This amount is adjusted by local wages indices in each area.
This code is used for both dry and cryopreserved amniotic membranes. This is covered by Medicare and many other insurances when medically necessary, but the coverage policy should be checked, and prior authorization obtained if required.
Group 1CodeDescription65779PLACEMENT OF AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE ON THE OCULAR SURFACE; SINGLE LAYER, SUTURED65780OCULAR SURFACE RECONSTRUCTION; AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE TRANSPLANTATION, MULTIPLE LAYERSV2790AMNIOTIC MEMBRANE FOR SURGICAL RECONSTRUCTION, PER PROCEDURE2 more rows
Surgical Coding Coding for a minor surgical procedure is not difficult. In accordance with minor surgical rules, an office visit (either 920XX or 992XX) is generally not separately billable when performed on the same date of service as CPT code 65778.
A disorder characterized by dryness of the cornea and conjunctiva. A syndrome characterized by dryness of the cornea and conjunctiva. It is usually caused by a deficiency in tear production. Symptoms include a feeling of burning eyes and a possible foreign body presence in the eye.
Corneal and conjunctival dryness due to deficient tear production , predominantly in menopausal and post-menopausal women. Filamentary keratitis or erosion of the conjunctival and corneal epithelium may be caused by these disorders. Sensation of the presence of a foreign body in the eye and burning of the eyes may occur.
H04.12 should not be used for reimbursement purposes as there are multiple codes below it that contain a greater level of detail.
CPT codes, descriptions and other data only are copyright 2020 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/HHSARS apply.
This First Coast Billing and Coding Article for Local Coverage Determination (LCD) L36237 Amniotic Membrane – Sutureless Placement on the Ocular Surface provides billing and coding guidance for frequency limitations as well as diagnosis limitations that support diagnosis to procedure code automated denials.
It is the provider’s responsibility to select codes carried out to the highest level of specificity and selected from the ICD-10-CM code book appropriate to the year in which the service is rendered for the claim (s) submitted.
All those not listed under the "ICD-10-CM Codes that Support Medical Necessity" section of this article.
Contractors may specify Bill Types to help providers identify those Bill Types typically used to report this service. Absence of a Bill Type does not guarantee that the article does not apply to that Bill Type.
Contractors may specify Revenue Codes to help providers identify those Revenue Codes typically used to report this service. In most instances Revenue Codes are purely advisory. Unless specified in the article, services reported under other Revenue Codes are equally subject to this coverage determination.
A There are 2 procedure codes: For placement of amniotic membrane using tissue glue, use 66999. A third code, 65426 (Excision or transposition of pterygium; with graft), may also apply to surgery using AmnioGraft, but the tissue graft is not separately identified or billed since it is the graft.
A third code, 65426 (Excision or transposition of pterygium; with graft), may also apply to surgery using AmnioGraft, but the tissue graft is not separately identified or billed since it is the graft. Note: The code for pterygium doesn’t change if tissue glue is used since 65426 doesn’t specify how the graft is attached.
A AmnioGraft is CryoTek® cryopreserved processed amniotic membrane and is used as either a biologic ocular bandage to assist healing or as an ocular transplantation graft to repair or replace damaged tissue. As a surgical graft, AmnioGraft repopulates with host cells from the surrounding tissue. As a biologic bandage, AmnioGraft acts as a physical barrier against the external environment, and can deliver anti-scarring, anti-inflammatory, and anti-angiogenic biologics to the ocular surface. It also supports epithelial adhesion and differentiation, and has anti-adhesive properties to minimize scarring.
A The use of amniotic tissue for assistance with wound healing has been advocated for over 65 years. Amniotic membrane tissue is indicated for the management of ocular wounds. The allograft maintains a moist environment which helps provide a physiologically favorable milieu for ocular wound management such as in the reduction of inflammation and scarring, and in reducing abnormal blood vessel growth. Amniotic membrane transplantation has proven beneficial where frequent topical lubrication has failed and as an alternative to tarsorrhaphy, punctal occlusion, tissue adhesives, and conjunctival flaps. The following list shows the most common indications.
Side note: Ocular surface interferometry and meibography technically have the code 0330T for tear film imaging unilateral or bilateral with interpretation and report. However, at this time there is no reimbursement associated with this code, so it is not reimbursable and is usually an out-of-pocket cost for the patient.
Tips. Depending on the insurance, “E” modifiers may be used to identify which puncta were occluded; others will accept RT (right eye) and LT (left eye). Your ICD-10 diagnosis codes should indicate which eye is treated. If appropriate, an office visit on the day of punctal plug insertion can be billed using modifier 25, appending the office visit code. Two puncta occluded at the same appointment is considered multiple surgeries, meaning the first procedure (puncta) is reimbursed at 100%, the second at 50%, third and fourth at 37.5% each.
Tips. This testing is billed for each eye using the CPT code twice on two lines, with the modifier LT or RT. Some carriers may deny the second tested eye, and it may need to be submitted as 83861 once on one line with no modifiers, but with two units of service. This testing is reimbursed to those who maintain a CLIA certificate or a CLIA waiver certificate. If you have a CLIA waiver certificate, you will also need to use a QW modifier, along with the laterality modifier; 83861-QW-RT.
In 2011, Bio-Tissue achieved its goal and the American Medical Association created CPT code 65778 (currently defined as: “Placement of amniotic membrane on the ocular surface; without sutures,”) in recognition of the importance of delivering the wound healing properties of cryopreserved amniotic membrane to the ocular surface without the use of sutures.
For CMS, a separate charge and reimbursement for the supply of the amniotic membrane is not allowed, as it’s bundled into the reimbursement for the procedure itself, so clinicians cannot bill for V2790 with 65778. Rarely, commercial carriers may have policies that allow for reimbursement of the procedure and the materials, and if so, the appropriate HCPCS Level II code is V2790 (“Amniotic membrane for surgical reconstruction, per procedure”). My advice—don’t bill for it as a separate item.
However, not all amniotic membranes are created equal, which CMS noted in a recent Local Coverage Determination: 1. “Amnion [Bio-Tissue] can be prepared for implantation a number of ways. Heat- or air-dried amniotic membrane loses some of its biologic properties and is not ideal for ocular surface rehabilitation.
Clinical application of an amniotic membrane is virtually identical to the insertion of a bandage contact lens; however, CPT references it as a surgical procedure, and clinicians must remember to follow surgical coding rules.
With respect to ocular surface disease (OSD), amniotic membranes are generally reserved for more advanced disease, as you are not treating the “dry eye,” but the corneal sequelae of the OSD, so medical necessity for this procedure would generally be established after the failure of other management strategies.
The use of amniotic membranes on the ocular surface is now a well-established therapy that can speed healing, particularly for severe inflammatory conditions. It may become even more important as we move to an outcomes-based payment system, considering it could provide significant cost savings. However, not all amniotic membranes are created equal, which CMS noted in a recent Local Coverage Determination: 1
Coding for a minor surgical procedure is not difficult. In accordance with minor surgical rules, an office visit (either 920XX or 992XX) is generally not separately billable when performed on the same date of service as CPT code 65778.
Human amniotic membrane (HAM) consists of 2 conjoined layers, the amnion, and chorion, and forms the innermost lining of the amniotic sac or placenta. When prepared for use as an allograft, the membrane is harvested immediately after birth, cleaned, sterilized, and either cryopreserved or dehydrated. Many products available using amnion, chorion, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord are being studied for the treatment of a variety of conditions, including chronic full-thickness diabetic lower-extremity ulcers, venous ulcers, knee osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, and ophthalmic conditions. The products are formulated either as patches, which can be applied as wound covers, or as suspensions or particulates, or connective tissue extractions, which can be injected or applied topically.
Several commercially available forms of human amniotic membrane (HAM) and amniotic fluid can be administered by patches, topical application, or injection. Amniotic membrane and amniotic fluid are being evaluated for the treatment of a variety of conditions, including chronic full-thickness diabetic lower-extremity ulcers, venous ulcers, knee osteoarthritis, plantar fasciitis, and ophthalmic conditions.
Amniotic membrane is an avascular fetal membrane that lies deep to the chorion and is harvested in a sterile environment from placental tissue obtained during elective cesarean sections. Donors are screened for transmissible diseases, and the AM is further treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics immediately after collection.
Types of Amniotic Membrane. Currently, two main types of AM are commercially available for in-office use: cryopreserved and dehydrated. Both types come in a variety of tissue thicknesses and sizes, depending on clinical needs. Cryopreserved AM.
AM is made up of three layers: epithelium, basement membrane, and stroma. Several types of collagen make up the basement membrane, including type VII collagen, which is also present in the conjunctival and corneal basement membranes.
Cryopreserved AM. Cryopreservation of AM involves slow freezing at –80°C using DMEM/glycerol preservation media to allow for slow-rate freezing without ice formation. This preservation technique retains the extracellular matrix components, such as heavy-chain hyaluronic acids, growth factors, fibronectin, and collagen, all of which promote anti-inflammatory effects and healing. The tissue is stored in a –80°C freezer and brought to room temperature when needed for use.
First, AM acts as a physical barrier to protect conjunctival and corneal epithelium as it heals, and it reduces pain caused by friction of the eyelids over the surface.