September 30, 2021

Question:
In the past, when I did a total thyroidectomy and I needed to re-implant a parathyroid gland I would also code 60512. I am now being told by my coders that I cannot code 60512 if I implant a parathyroid gland in the sternocleidomastoid muscle. They say I can only charge it if I make a separate incision to implant it. Is this correct? If not can you give me some information to show the coders.

Answer:
Yes, the coder is correct – if the re-implant is performed through the same surgical incision then you cannot separately code it. If it is performed through a separate surgical incision (e.g., arm) then you can separately report 60512. There was a CPT Assistant, published by the AMA, about this a few years ago. You can contact the AMA if you’d like to purchase a hard copy.

*This response is based on the best information available as of 9/30/21.