When to Use Unlisted CPT Codes Without Getting Audited

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What Are Unlisted CPT Codes and Why Do They Exist Every CPT code in the AMA’s procedural terminology system describes a specific, defined service. Most of the time, a provider can find a code that accurately fits what was performed. But medicine moves faster than codebooks. New surgical techniques, emerging technologies, and rare procedures regularly … Read more

Billing Medicare Secondary When Global Imaging Code (74181) Was Paid by Primary Insurance: A Complete Guide to the CMS Anti-Markup Rule

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Introduction: The Conflict Between Commercial and Medicare Billing Rules Medical billing professionals who handle coordination of benefits claims frequently encounter a challenging scenario: a global imaging code such as CPT 74181 (MRI abdomen without contrast) was correctly billed and paid by a commercial primary insurer, but the claim must now be submitted to Medicare as … Read more

CPT 64772 vs 64999: Thumb CMC Joint Denervation Coding Guide

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Category: Surgical Billing | Nerve Surgery | Orthopedic Hand Surgery Coding Reading Time: 9 minutes Last Updated: June 2026 CPT 64999 is the more defensible billing choice for selective thumb CMC joint denervation. This applies when the surgeon has addressed the superficial radial nerve branches. It also applies when the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve branches … Read more