Last month the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published the 2020 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) Final Rule. Earlier this fall, your Academy submitted comments regarding the OPPS Proposed Rule. Our comments centered on the ambulatory payment classification (APC) assigned to the new CPT code 64624 for destruction by neurolytic agent of genicular nerve branches. CMS proposed an APC assignment for this code which significantly under-valued the service. We are pleased to share that our efforts to oppose this mis-classification were successful. The final rule lists code 64624 in a different and more highly reimbursed APC.
However, we continue to believe that CMS does not fully understand the work involved in code 64624. In the final rule, CMS finalized this service as being an office-based surgical procedure. We disagree with this classification and have submitted a comment letter to the final rule arguing that 64624 should be classified as non-office-based. Your Academy will continue to monitor classification of code 64624 moving forward.