Billing Requirements for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Effective for services on or after September 29, 2008, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) made the decision that Thermal Intradiscal Procedures (TIPS) are not reasonable and necessary for the treatment of low back pain. Therefore, TIPs are non-covered.

The following Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes will be nationally non-covered by Medicare effective for dates of service on and after September 29, 2008:

22526: Percutaneous intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty, unilateral or bilateral including fluoroscopic guidance; single level

22527: Percutaneous intradiscal electrothermal annuloplasty, unilateral or bilateral including fluoroscopic guidance; one or more additional levels

0062T: Percutaneous intradiscal annuloplasty, any method except electrothermal, unilateral or bilateral including fluoroscopic guidance; single level

0063T: Percutaneous intradiscal annuloplasty, any method except electrothermal, unilateral or bilateral including fluoroscopic guidance; one or more additional levels

NOTE: The change to add the non-covered indicator for the above HCPCS codes will be part of the January 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Update. The change to the status indicator to non-cover the above HCPCS will be part of the January Integrated Outpatient Code Editor (IOCE) update.

Claims submitted with the non-covered HCPCS codes on or after September 29, 2008, will be denied by Medicare contractors.