MRI Services Update

Effective retroactively for dates of service on or after July 1, 2012, the following CPT codes for MRI services will not be subject to the reimbursement reduction of MRI services provided during the same session:

• 70557 (magnetic resonance [e.g., proton] imaging, brain [including brain stem and skull base], during open intracranial procedure [e.g., to assess for residual tumor or residual vascular malformation]; without contrast materials)
• 70558 (with contrast material)
• 70559 (without contrast material[s], followed by contrast material[s] and further sequences)

These codes are not reimbursable together; only one of these codes can be reimbursed per day, same patient, same provider, any rendering provider.

Source: General Medicine | October 2012 | Bulletin 460