How To Use CPT Code 77336

CPT 77336 is a code used for continuing medical physics consultation during radiation therapy, and this article will cover its description, procedure, qualifying circumstances, usage, documentation requirements, billing guidelines, historical information, similar codes, and examples.

1. What is CPT 77336?

CPT 77336 is a code used to report continuing medical physics consultation services during radiation therapy. This code is specifically for ongoing medical physics consultation, which involves the assessment of treatment parameters, quality assurance of dose delivery, and review of patient treatment documentation in support of the radiation oncologist. The service is typically reported on a weekly basis, after a full week of therapy has been delivered.

2. 77336 CPT code description

The official description of CPT code 77336 is: “Continuing medical physics consultation, including assessment of treatment parameters, quality assurance of dose delivery, and review of patient treatment documentation in support of the radiation oncologist, reported per week of therapy.”

3. Procedure

The 77336 procedure involves the following steps:

1. Reviewing the patient treatment chart received from various members of the patient management team.
2. Checking the data to ensure that the patient received the proper dosage of radiation.
3. Reviewing patient positioning, machine setup, and effective utilization of devices such as molds, blocks, linear accelerators, etc.
4. Assessing the safety measurements and other treatment parameters.
5. Performing a final chart check and validation of the week-long treatment.

4. Qualifying circumstances

Medical physicists are eligible to provide CPT 77336 services if they are involved in the ongoing management of a patient undergoing radiation therapy. This includes reviewing treatment documentation, assessing treatment parameters, and ensuring the quality assurance of dose delivery. The service is typically reported once per week, after a full week of therapy has been delivered.

5. When to use CPT code 77336

It is appropriate to bill the 77336 CPT code when a medical physicist is providing ongoing consultation services during a patient’s radiation therapy. This includes reviewing treatment documentation, assessing treatment parameters, and ensuring the quality assurance of dose delivery. The service should be reported once per week, after a full week of therapy has been delivered.

6. Documentation requirements

To support a claim for CPT 77336, the following information should be documented:

• Patient’s demographic information, including name, date of birth, and medical record number.
• Date of service and the week of therapy being reported.
• A detailed description of the services provided by the medical physicist, including the assessment of treatment parameters, quality assurance of dose delivery, and review of patient treatment documentation.
• Any recommendations or changes made by the medical physicist based on their review and assessment.
• Signature and credentials of the medical physicist providing the service.

7. Billing guidelines

When billing for CPT code 77336, it is important to follow these guidelines:

• Report the code once per week, after a full week of therapy has been delivered.
• Do not report CPT 77336 separately when the service is part of the IMRT planning process (CPT 77301).
• Ensure that all documentation requirements are met to support the claim.

8. Historical information

CPT 77336 was added to the Current Procedural Terminology system on January 1, 1990. There have been no updates to the code since its addition.

9. Similar codes to CPT 77336

Five similar codes to CPT 77336 and how they differentiate are:

1. CPT 77301: This code is for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) planning, which is a separate process from the ongoing consultation services covered by CPT 77336.
2. CPT 77338: This code is for multi-leaf collimator (MLC) device(s) for intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which is a specific device used in IMRT and not part of the ongoing consultation services covered by CPT 77336.
3. CPT 77370: This code is for special medical physics consultation, which is a separate service from the ongoing consultation services covered by CPT 77336.
4. CPT 77385: This code is for intensity-modulated radiation treatment delivery, which is the actual delivery of the radiation therapy and not part of the ongoing consultation services covered by CPT 77336.
5. CPT 77386: This code is also for intensity-modulated radiation treatment delivery but with a different method of delivery than CPT 77385, and it is not part of the ongoing consultation services covered by CPT 77336.

10. Examples

Here are 10 detailed examples of CPT code 77336 procedures:

1. A patient undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer receives weekly medical physics consultation services to ensure proper treatment parameters and dose delivery.
2. A patient receiving radiation therapy for prostate cancer has their treatment documentation reviewed weekly by a medical physicist to ensure accurate and safe treatment.
3. A medical physicist assesses the treatment parameters and quality assurance of dose delivery for a patient undergoing radiation therapy for lung cancer on a weekly basis.
4. A patient with brain cancer receives weekly medical physics consultation services during their radiation therapy to ensure proper patient positioning and machine setup.
5. A medical physicist reviews the treatment documentation and assesses the safety measurements for a patient receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer on a weekly basis.
6. A patient undergoing radiation therapy for colorectal cancer has their treatment parameters and dose delivery assessed weekly by a medical physicist.
7. A medical physicist provides weekly consultation services for a patient receiving radiation therapy for esophageal cancer, ensuring proper treatment documentation and quality assurance of dose delivery.
8. A patient with pancreatic cancer receives weekly medical physics consultation services during their radiation therapy to ensure accurate and safe treatment parameters and dose delivery.
9. A medical physicist reviews the treatment documentation and assesses the safety measurements for a patient receiving radiation therapy for cervical cancer on a weekly basis.
10. A patient undergoing radiation therapy for bladder cancer has their treatment parameters and dose delivery assessed weekly by a medical physicist to ensure proper treatment and patient safety.