Billing Kenalog

Second opinion needed: My doc is requesting 8 units of Kenalog based on the below documentation. I would like to bill this as J3301 instead of J3301 x 8 and someone please provide me with some insight. Thanks!


Under sterile prep on the medial side of the right knee today he was injected with buffered Xylocaine and Kenalog 40. This should give him some relief of the symptoms. We will see him back in four to six months for a recheck on the left knee and the right knee. If the right knee continues to bother him and the shots are no longer effective, at some point in the future he may have to consider having right total knee replacement as well.

re: Billing Kenalog

J3301 is billed as 10mg units; ask the provider to clarify - in the notes - the amount of Kenalog used. It sounds like he used 80mg, but without clear documentation, it's impossible to tell.

re: Billing Kenalog

You need to know the strength/doseage of the drug and what he means by "units"

J3301 triamcinolone acetonide, (Kenalog-10, Kenalog-40) per 10 mg (bottle says Kenalog 40 =40 mg/ml)
If you use 0.25 cc 10 mg/40 mg = 1 Unit
If you use 0.5 cc 20 mg/40 mg = 2 Units
If you use 0.75 cc 30 mg/40 mg = 3 Units
If you use 1.0 cc 40 mg/40 mg = 4 Units

re: Billing Kenalog

I work for an osteoarthritis clinic. They use 40mg./cc injection. and if the dr says he injected 1cc, 4units are coded. We do it only when document contains this information ie strength /cc

madan lpha

re: Billing Kenalog

Coded as J3301. This is based on a 10 mg-dosage/per HCPCS code. If you were to give a 1 cc injection of Kenalog-40, you would bill it as J3301 at "4" units.