Summary & Overview
CPT 95967: MEG Evoked Brain Activity, Additional Functional Modality
CPT code 95967 designates an add-on magnetoencephalography (MEG) procedure in which the clinician records and analyzes evoked brain magnetic activity for an additional functional modality such as language, sensory, or motor testing. Nationally, this code matters because MEG add-on testing supports presurgical planning, functional brain mapping, and advanced neurologic assessment where noninvasive localization of cortical function influences clinical decisions. Payers often evaluate coverage based on clinical indication, setting, and documentation of the additional modality testing.
Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of the clinical role of this add-on MEG modality, typical sites of service, and common billing modifiers associated with advanced neurodiagnostic procedures. The publication also summarizes benchmarking considerations, payer policy themes relevant to MEG add-ons, and practical coding context to support accurate claim submission. Data not available in the input is noted where specific payer policy details, taxonomies, ICD-10 pairings, or related codes would normally be listed.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 95967 is an add-on neurodiagnostic procedure that records and analyzes evoked brain magnetic activity using magnetoencephalography (MEG). In this procedure, the provider assesses an additional brain functional modality — for example, language, sensory, or motor function — during the MEG study to localize and characterize brain activity associated with those functions.
Service type: Evoked brain magnetic activity testing (magnetoencephalography), additional modality added to primary MEG study
Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient department or dedicated neurophysiology/advanced neuroimaging center
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 34-year-old right-handed patient with medically refractory focal epilepsy is referred for pre-surgical functional brain mapping. The neurology team orders magnetoencephalography (MEG) with additional language and motor task paradigms to localize eloquent cortex and to delineate the epileptogenic zone prior to epilepsy surgery. The patient arrives to the outpatient neuroimaging center on the scheduled day, completes safety screening for ferromagnetic implants, and is positioned comfortably under the MEG sensor array. Baseline resting-state recordings are obtained, followed by task-based stimulation: a language paradigm (receptive and expressive naming tasks) and a motor paradigm (finger tapping). Continuous MEG signals are recorded, event-related responses are marked, and simultaneous video-EEG (if available) is time-synced. The interpreting neurophysiologist reviews sensor-space and source-space analyses, annotates evoked responses for the additional brain modality (language or motor), and produces a clinical report describing localization relative to anatomical MRI. The report is used by the multidisciplinary team (neurology, neurosurgery, neuroradiology) to inform surgical planning or further management.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component | When billing only the physician interpretation portion of the MEG study. |