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Methotrexate Injection in the ER

Published on 

Monday, February 15, 2021

 | FAQ 

Q:

We had a patient in the ER who was having a miscarriage, and she received an intramuscular injection of Methotrexate.  What CPT code should be used to report the Methotrexate injection in this scenario?

A:

Methotrexate is classified as a chemotherapy drug, specifically an antimetabolite. Therefore, the intramuscular injection of Methotrexate should be reported with CPT code 96401, representing injection of a non-hormonal antineoplastic.  You should not report the injection using CPT code 96372 for a therapeutic drug.

Per CPT guidelines, the CPT codes for chemotherapy administration should be used when an anti-neoplastic drug is given, even if the diagnosis is not related to cancer.

It is unusual for a chemotherapy type drug to be given in the ER, so you may need a new charge code created for those rare circumstances when a drug such as Methotrexate is given by intramuscular route.

Article Author: Jeffery Gordon, RN, MSN, CCA, COC
Jeffery Gordon, RN, MSN, CCA, COC, is the Manager of Outpatient Medical Review at Medical Management Plus, Inc. Jeff has over thirty-five years of experience in healthcare including Critical Care, Infection Control, Quality Assurance, Medical Necessity, Outpatient Coding, Medicare Claims data analysis and Medical Record review.

This material was compiled to share information.  MMP, Inc. is not offering legal advice. Every reasonable effort has been taken to ensure the information is accurate and useful.