Placement of an indwelling cervical or thoracic epidural or subarachnoid catheter for continuous or intermittent drug delivery, with fluoroscopic or CT guidance included in the service.
- Medicare
- $265.20
- Work RVU
- 2.15
- Global, days
- 0
- Region
- Spine
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Cervical or thoracic entry level and imaging modality used
- Saved image confirming catheter tip position or contrast spread
- Indication: post-op analgesia, infusion trial, or chronic pain
- Surgeon request and type of surgical anesthesia when billed for post-op pain
- Drug, concentration, infusion rate or bolus schedule
- Post-placement assessment and catheter securement
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
62325 is the imaging-guided version of 62324. A catheter is threaded into the cervical or thoracic epidural or subarachnoid space under fluoroscopy or CT so drug can run continuously or be given in boluses. The imaging is bundled, so 77003 and 77012 are not billed with it.
Ortho practices see this mostly on the anesthesia or pain side. Examples include a thoracic catheter for analgesia after multilevel spine surgery, or a pain physician placing a cervical catheter for a multi-day infusion trial in a patient with refractory upper extremity pain. In-office use is rare and draws scrutiny.
The billing rules match 62324. When placed for post-op pain after a case under general anesthesia, the catheter can be reported separately with modifier 59 or XU, and the record should show the surgeon asked for it. If the catheter is the anesthetic for the case, it is not separately payable. Bill one unit per catheter placement and use 01996 for daily management after the day of insertion. Expect payers to look closely at the place of service when this is billed outside a facility.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (2.15) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (7.94) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 2.15 |
| Practice expense RVU | 5.6 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.19 |
| Total RVU | 7.94 |
| Medicare national rate | $265.20 |
| Global period | 0 days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $265.20 |
HOPD (APC 5443) Hospital outpatient department | $903.63 |
ASC (PI G2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $485.51 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 62325 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- 77003 or 77012 billed separately and denied as bundled
- Catheter served as the primary anesthetic for the surgical case
- No modifier 59 or XU on the same claim as the anesthesia service
- Subsequent days billed as 62325 instead of 01996
- Medical necessity not supported for a non-surgical infusion trial
- Lumbar placement coded to the cervical/thoracic code
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Is fluoroscopy included in CPT 62325?
02Can 62325 be billed for a post-op thoracic epidural after spine surgery?
03How is epidural catheter follow-up billed after 62325?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe's notes capture the indication, the surgeon's request, and the imaging used, which is what a reviewer looks for when the catheter is billed beside an anesthesia claim.
See how Mira captures CPT 62325 documentation