Summary & Overview
CPT 0215T: Ultrasound-Guided Cervical/Thoracic Paravertebral Facet Joint Injection
CPT code 0215T identifies ultrasound-guided injection of a diagnostic or therapeutic agent into one or more additional cervical or thoracic paravertebral facet joints or the nerves that exit those joints. This procedure is used to diagnose or treat axial and radicular pain and to provide regional anesthesia for surgical procedures. As a specialized, image-guided intervention, the code captures care that often involves provider-level procedural skill and facility resources.
Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context, typical sites of service, and billing considerations tied to this service. The publication highlights national relevance given the frequency of cervical and thoracic spine pain, the increasing use of ultrasound guidance for targeted injections, and payer coverage patterns that affect access and utilization.
This report summarizes benchmarks and coding guidance where available, explains common clinical indications and service settings, and outlines elements that typically appear on the claim. Data not available in the input is noted where relevant.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 0215T describes the injection of a diagnostic or therapeutic agent under ultrasound guidance into one or more additional cervical or thoracic paravertebral facet joints or the nerves that exit those joints. The service is performed to relieve pain or to administer an anesthetic for a surgical procedure.
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Service type: Image-guided paravertebral facet joint or nerve injection (diagnostic or therapeutic)
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Typical site of service: Ambulatory surgical center, hospital outpatient department, or office-based procedure suite where ultrasound guidance and procedural monitoring are available.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 56-year-old patient with chronic cervical radicular pain after a motor vehicle collision presents to an outpatient interventional pain clinic. Conservative measures including physical therapy, oral analgesics, and epidural steroid injection provided incomplete relief. The pain specialist recommends an ultrasound-guided diagnostic/therapeutic paravertebral facet joint or medial branch injection of anesthetic and steroid at additional cervical or thoracic levels to confirm the pain generator and provide symptom relief prior to proceeding with radiofrequency ablation or surgical planning. The patient arrives fasting, consents for procedure, and the provider reviews imaging and coagulation status. Under sterile conditions in an outpatient procedure suite or ambulatory surgery center, the provider uses ultrasound to identify the target paravertebral facets or exiting nerve roots, injects local anesthetic with or without steroid, monitors the patient post-procedure for recovery and documents level(s) treated, volumes and agents used, ultrasound guidance, and any immediate complications. Typical site of service is an outpatient interventional pain clinic, ambulatory surgery center, or hospital outpatient department. Typical service type is an image-guided therapeutic and diagnostic paravertebral facet or medial branch injection under ultrasound guidance to relieve pain or provide anesthetic for a subsequent surgical procedure.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | No modifier | Standard reporting when no special circumstance modifier applies |