Neurology billing, handled with care
Where neurology billing gets difficult
The issues we see most often, and the ones that quietly cost practices the most.
Test-specific coding rules
EEG, EMG and nerve conduction studies are coded by duration, number of nerves or muscles, and whether video was used.
Complex office visits
Visits for chronic neurologic conditions often involve significant decision-making or time that must be clearly documented.
Procedures with drug billing
Botulinum toxin and infusion therapies require accurate drug units, wastage reporting and authorizations.
Component billing
Testing performed at hospitals or by technicians may require professional and technical components to be split.
How we handle them
Test report coding
We code tests from the final report, counting studies, nerves and monitoring time as documented.
E/M documentation support
We review visit documentation for medical decision-making and time, and share practical feedback with providers.
Drug and procedure review
Injection procedures are checked for drug units, sites and authorization before claims are submitted.
Testing ownership checks
We confirm where testing was performed and who owns the equipment before billing components.
Coding notes
General guidance only. Code sets update every year and payer policies vary, so we check current rules on every claim.
- EEG coding
- Routine EEGs are coded by recording length and state (for example, 95816 and 95819). Long-term EEG monitoring uses codes 95700–95726, which depend on setup, recording duration, video and the level of professional review.
- Nerve conduction studies
- NCS codes 95907–95913 are based on the total number of studies performed. The report should list each nerve and study type.
- Needle EMG
- When EMG is performed with NCS, add-on codes 95885–95887 are used. Standalone EMG codes such as 95860–95864 apply when NCS is not done on the same day.
- Time-based services
- Several neurology services, including long-term monitoring and some office visits, depend on documented time, so start and stop times or total minutes should be recorded clearly.
Neurology billing questions
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