Correct details to include when submitting charges for Doppler echocardiography

Q.

What verbiage do I need to see in echocardiogram reports to report CPT^® codes 93320/93321 and 93325? 

A.

For codes 93320 and 93321 look for words such as “velocities” (vel) and perhaps waveforms, but usually velocities.

For CPT code 93325, look for the word color, or if you can see the actual echo, look for color superimposed over grayscale that shows the blood flow. In a report, you might see something like “color doppler indicates normal flow”, or “color doppler confirms mitral regurgitation.”

Some echocardiogram codes already include spectral and color doppler, so be certain to check guidelines and code descriptions before billing these codes separately. The codes and full description are as follows:

93320 Doppler echocardiography, pulsed wave and/or continuous wave with spectral display (List separately in addition to codes for echocardiographic imaging); 

Complete 9332 Doppler echocardiography, pulsed wave and/or continuous wave with spectral display (List separately in addition to codes for echocardiographic imaging); 

Follow-up or limited study (List separately in addition to codes for echocardiographic imaging) 93325 Doppler echocardiography color flow velocity mapping (List separately in addition to codes for echocardiography)