The Advocacy Council regularly receives queries from members on how to correctly code specific scenarios. Recently we received a request for coding a local anesthetics testing.
Q: What code should I use when I do skin testing and intradermal testing for administration of local anesthetics?
A: CPT 95018 is the correct code to use when skin testing for an allergy to any drug. It should be used for both prick testing and intradermal testing. Enter the total number of prick and intradermal tests performed on the claim form. In addition, 96372 can be used for the administration of the anesthetic.
95018: Allergy testing, any combination of percutaneous (scratch, puncture, prick) and intracutaneous (intradermal), sequential and incremental, with drugs or biologicals, immediate type reaction, including test interpretation and report, specify number of tests.
96372: Therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic injection (specify substance or drug); subcutaneous or intramuscular
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