Is There a Code for Cupping? Coding Guru Judy Sturgeon Weighs In

There are plenty of coding clinics that say "oops, we don't have a code for that … use this WRONG code until we can create something better."

So, after much debate, my final answer is the variant on therapeutic massage with the stupid 7th character:  80EKXY7

8           Other procedures
E          Physiological systems and anatomical regions
0           Other: methodologies which attempt to remediate or cure a disorder or disease
K          Musculoskeletal System
X           External approach
Y          Other Method
7           Examination (only because Z is not an option)

— Judy Sturgeon, CCS, CCDS, is the clinical coding/reimbursement compliance manager at Harris County Hospital District in Houston and a contributing editor at For The Record. While her initial education was in medical technology, she has been in hospital coding and compliance for 26 years.