99292
Critical care ea addl 30 min
Critical care, evaluation and management of the critically ill or critically injured patient, each additional 30 minutes beyond the first 74 minutes. CMS 2026 wRVU 2.25. Add-on code; must be reported with 99291.
When to use it
Use 99292 for each additional 30-minute block of critical care time on the calendar day, beyond the first 74 minutes captured by 99291. The first 99292 unit covers minutes 75 through 104; the second unit covers minutes 105 through 134; and so on.
Full guidance
Real examples: a patient with septic shock requiring 2 hours of bedside vasopressor titration plus 30 minutes of family decision-making would bill 99291 + 1 unit of 99292.
Documentation checklist
- ✓All 99291 documentation requirements apply.
- ✓Total critical care time on the calendar day, exceeding 74 minutes for the first 99292 unit.
- ✓Each 99292 unit requires a full 30 additional minutes. 15-minute increments are not separately billable.
- ✓Activities for the additional time must meet critical care criteria (same as 99291).
Common pitfalls
- !Billing 99292 without 99291. 99292 is an add-on; it cannot stand alone.
- !Billing 99292 in increments under 30 minutes. The full 30 minutes is required for each unit.
- !Counting time on separately billable procedures as critical care time. The two cannot overlap.
Payer notes
99292 is paid by Medicare and commercial payers at the standard PFS allowable. Multiple units of 99292 are allowed on the same calendar day for the same patient as long as documentation supports the cumulative time.