Ask Dr. Z

Dr. Z, Please explain the rationale for new code 36148 additional access for therapeutic intervention. Sometimes our physicians access graft in 2 locations and criss cross catheters were placed, in 2009 we can code this with 36145 twice with or without intervention. With new codes can we charge 36147 and 36148 (for the second access) when they perform only diagnositic study no intervention performed or only 36147 since no intervention performed with the additional access. And also even when they perform intervention we can't tell from the report whether they used the second access to perform intervention, please explain. Thanks