Summary & Overview
CPT 0213T: Ultrasound-Guided Cervical/Thoracic Paravertebral Facet Injection
CPT code 0213T defines an ultrasound-guided injection of a diagnostic or therapeutic agent into a single cervical or thoracic paravertebral facet joint or the exiting spinal nerve. This procedure is used to relieve neck or upper back pain or to provide anesthetic for surgical procedures. The code captures an image‑guided interventional pain management service distinct from fluoroscopic or CT-guided interventions.
Nationally, ultrasound-guided spine injections have grown as facilities and clinicians seek alternatives to ionizing radiation for targeted nerve and joint interventions. Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical context for the code, typical sites of service, and the service type. The publication outlines common billing modifiers and national payer coverage patterns where available, and it provides benchmarking context and policy considerations relevant to payers and providers. Content addresses coding specificity, clinical indications, and procedural setting expectations to help billing professionals and practice managers understand claim submission implications.
Data not available in the input: associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, related codes, and service line.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0213T describes an imaging-guided injection where the provider injects a diagnostic or therapeutic agent under ultrasound guidance into a single cervical or thoracic paravertebral facet joint or the spinal nerves that exit the joint. The procedure is performed to relieve pain or to administer an anesthetic for a surgical procedure.
Service Type: Image-guided paravertebral facet joint or spinal nerve injection (diagnostic or therapeutic)
Typical Site of Service: Outpatient procedure setting or ambulatory surgical center, including pain clinics and radiology procedure suites
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 56-year-old patient with chronic, unilateral neck pain radiating to the shoulder presents to an interventional pain clinic after conservative measures (physical therapy, oral analgesics, and a prior course of medial branch blocks) provided insufficient relief. Diagnostic imaging (cervical MRI) shows multilevel facet arthropathy without myelopathy. The pain specialist discusses using an ultrasound-guided paravertebral facet joint or exiting spinal nerve injection to deliver a diagnostic anesthetic to confirm the facet joint as the pain generator and/or to provide therapeutic relief prior to considering radiofrequency ablation.
The clinical workflow: the patient completes informed consent and pre-procedure screening, vital signs and anticoagulation status are reviewed, and the procedure area is prepped. Under ultrasound guidance the provider identifies the targeted cervical or thoracic paravertebral facet joint or the adjacent spinal nerve, performs local skin anesthesia, and injects a diagnostic or therapeutic agent. Post-procedure observation includes monitoring for neurologic changes, hemodynamic stability, and discharge instructions for activity limitations and expected duration of analgesia.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
22 | Increased procedural services | Use when the procedure required substantially greater work than typical (complex anatomy, prolonged time) with documentation supporting the increased effort. |