Add-on code for a drug infused at the same time as another IV infusion through the same line, reported no more than once per encounter.
- Medicare
- $20.71
- Work RVU
- 0.17
- Global, days
- Region
- General
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Both drugs named with doses and J-codes
- Times showing the infusions overlapped
- Single IV access used for both
- Initial infusion code on the same claim
- Medical reason for concurrent administration
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
96368 covers a concurrent infusion: two drugs running at the same time through the same access. It is an add-on to an initial infusion code and can be reported only once per encounter, no matter how many drugs run together or how long they run.
In an ortho office, this is rare. It comes up when an antiemetic or other supporting drug runs alongside a therapeutic infusion. Most orthopedic infusions are single-drug, so if 96368 shows up often on your claims, check whether staff are coding sequential infusions as concurrent.
Three things get these claims denied: it cannot be billed alone, it cannot be billed twice, and it does not apply to hydration running with a drug (hydration given concurrently with another infusion is not separately reported). Document that both drugs were running together, with times, so the reviewer can see this was not a sequential infusion.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (0.17) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (0.62) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 0.17 |
| Practice expense RVU | 0.44 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.01 |
| Total RVU | 0.62 |
| Medicare national rate | $20.71 |
| Global period | days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $20.71 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 96368 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- More than one unit billed per encounter
- Billed without an initial infusion code
- Concurrent hydration coded as 96368
- Times show drugs given in sequence, not concurrently
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01How many times can 96368 be billed?
02Can concurrent hydration be billed with 96368?
03Is 96368 a standalone code?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe records overlapping infusion times and both drugs in one place, which is what a reviewer needs to accept a concurrent infusion.
See how Mira captures CPT 96368 documentation