Need help choosing the right code?
Ask CasePilot about procedures, modifiers, bundling, and coding guidance.
Try CasePilot© Copyright 2026 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
An Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a diagnostic procedure that records the electrical activity of the brain. Specifically, CPT® Code 95822 refers to an EEG that is conducted exclusively while the patient is in a coma or asleep. This type of EEG is crucial for assessing brain function in patients who are unable to respond due to unconsciousness or deep sleep. The procedure involves the application of sixteen or more electrodes to the scalp, which are secured with a sticky paste. These electrodes are connected to an amplifier and a recording machine that captures the brain's electrical signals. The patient is instructed to remain still with their eyes closed during the recording process. The EEG machine translates the brain's electrical activity into wavy lines on graph paper, allowing healthcare professionals to analyze the data for abnormalities. This procedure is particularly useful in diagnosing conditions such as seizure disorders, confusion, head injuries, tumors, infections, degenerative diseases, and metabolic disturbances. Additionally, it can help evaluate sleep disorders. The EEG may also be performed on patients in a coma to determine the presence of any brain activity. The physician is responsible for reviewing the recorded data and providing a written interpretation of the results. For EEG recordings conducted with the patient awake and drowsy, CPT® Code 95816 is used, while CPT® Code 95819 is designated for recordings with the patient awake and asleep.
© Copyright 2026 Coding Ahead. All rights reserved.
The Electroencephalogram (EEG) performed under CPT® Code 95822 is indicated for several specific clinical scenarios, particularly when assessing brain activity in patients who are in a coma or asleep. The following conditions may warrant the use of this procedure:
The procedure for conducting an EEG under CPT® Code 95822 involves several critical steps to ensure accurate recording of brain activity while the patient is in a coma or asleep. The following outlines the procedural steps:
Post-procedure care following an EEG conducted under CPT® Code 95822 typically involves monitoring the patient for any immediate reactions to the procedure. Since the EEG is non-invasive and generally well-tolerated, there are usually no significant recovery concerns. However, the physician may provide specific instructions based on the patient's condition and the findings from the EEG. It is important for the physician to communicate the results of the EEG to the patient or their family, discussing any identified abnormalities and potential next steps for further evaluation or treatment. Follow-up appointments may be scheduled to discuss the findings in detail and to plan any necessary interventions based on the results of the EEG.
| Short Descr | EEG COMA OR SLEEP ONLY | Medium Descr | ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAM REC COMA/SLEEP ONLY | Long Descr | Electroencephalogram (EEG); recording in coma or sleep only | Status Code | Active Code | Global Days | XXX - Global Concept Does Not Apply | PC/TC Indicator (26, TC) | 1 - Diagnostic Tests for Radiology Services | Multiple Procedures (51) | 0 - No payment adjustment rules for multiple procedures apply. | Bilateral Surgery (50) | 0 - 150% payment adjustment for bilateral procedures does NOT apply. | Physician Supervisions | 09 - Concept does not apply. | Assistant Surgeon (80, 82) | 0 - Payment restriction for assistants at surgery applies to this procedure... | Co-Surgeons (62) | 0 - Co-surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Team Surgery (66) | 0 - Team surgeons not permitted for this procedure. | Diagnostic Imaging Family | 99 - Concept Does Not Apply | APC Status Indicator | Procedure or Service, Not Discounted when Multiple | Type of Service (TOS) | 5 - Diagnostic Laboratory | Berenson-Eggers TOS (BETOS) | T2D - Other tests - other | MUE | 1 | CCS Clinical Classification | 199 - Electroencephalogram (EEG) |
This is a primary code that can be used with these additional add-on codes.
| 95940 | Addon Code Resequenced Code MPFS Status: Active Code APC N Continuous intraoperative neurophysiology monitoring in the operating room, one on one monitoring requiring personal attendance, each 15 minutes (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) | 95941 | Addon Code Resequenced Code MPFS Status: Not valid for Medicare purposes APC N Continuous intraoperative neurophysiology monitoring, from outside the operating room (remote or nearby) or for monitoring of more than one case while in the operating room, per hour (List separately in addition to code for primary procedure) | G0453 | Add-on Code Medicare Coverage: Carrier Priced MPFS Status: Active Code APC N Continuous intraoperative neurophysiology monitoring, from outside the operating room (remote or nearby), per patient, (attention directed exclusively to one patient) each 15 minutes (list in addition to primary procedure) |
| 26 | Professional component: certain procedures are a combination of a physician or other qualified health care professional component and a technical component. when the physician or other qualified health care professional component is reported separately, the service may be identified by adding modifier 26 to the usual procedure number. | GC | This service has been performed in part by a resident under the direction of a teaching physician | 59 | Distinct procedural service: under certain circumstances, it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was distinct or independent from other non-e/m services performed on the same day. modifier 59 is used to identify procedures/services, other than e/m services, that are not normally reported together, but are appropriate under the circumstances. documentation must support a different session, different procedure or surgery, different site or organ system, separate incision/excision, separate lesion, or separate injury (or area of injury in extensive injuries) not ordinarily encountered or performed on the same day by the same individual. however, when another already established modifier is appropriate it should be used rather than modifier 59. only if no more descriptive modifier is available, and the use of modifier 59 best explains the circumstances, should modifier 59 be used. note: modifier 59 should not be appended to an e/m service. to report a separate and distinct e/m service with a non-e/m service performed on the same date, see modifier 25. | AQ | Physician providing a service in an unlisted health professional shortage area (hpsa) | GZ | Item or service expected to be denied as not reasonable and necessary | GW | Service not related to the hospice patient's terminal condition | CR | Catastrophe/disaster related | XU | Unusual non-overlapping service, the use of a service that is distinct because it does not overlap usual components of the main service | AF | Specialty physician | 76 | Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional: it may be necessary to indicate that a procedure or service was repeated by the same physician or other qualified health care professional subsequent to the original procedure or service. this circumstance may be reported by adding modifier 76 to the repeated procedure or service. note: this modifier should not be appended to an e/m service. | 79 | Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period: the individual may need to indicate that the performance of a procedure or service during the postoperative period was unrelated to the original procedure. this circumstance may be reported by using modifier 79. (for repeat procedures on the same day, see modifier 76.) | 95 | Synchronous telemedicine service rendered via a real-time interactive audio and video telecommunications system: synchronous telemedicine service is defined as a real-time interaction between a physician or other qualified health care professional and a patient who is located at a distant site from the physician or other qualified health care professional. the totality of the communication of information exchanged between the physician or other qualified health care professional and the patient during the course of the synchronous telemedicine service must be of an amount and nature that would be sufficient to meet the key components and/or requirements of the same service when rendered via a face-to-face interaction. modifier 95 may only be appended to the services listed in appendix p. appendix p is the list of cpt codes for services that are typically performed face-to-face, but may be rendered via a real-time (synchronous) interactive audio and video telecommunications system. | CC | Procedure code change (use 'cc' when the procedure code submitted was changed either for administrative reasons or because an incorrect code was filed) | ET | Emergency services | GV | Attending physician not employed or paid under arrangement by the patient's hospice provider | Q1 | Routine clinical service provided in a clinical research study that is in an approved clinical research study | Q6 | Service furnished under a fee-for-time compensation arrangement by a substitute physician or by a substitute physical therapist furnishing outpatient physical therapy services in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area | TC | Technical component; under certain circumstances, a charge may be made for the technical component alone; under those circumstances the technical component charge is identified by adding modifier 'tc' to the usual procedure number; technical component charges are institutional charges and not billed separately by physicians; however, portable x-ray suppliers only bill for technical component and should utilize modifier tc; the charge data from portable x-ray suppliers will then be used to build customary and prevailing profiles | XE | Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter | XP | Separate practitioner, a service that is distinct because it was performed by a different practitioner | XS | Separate structure, a service that is distinct because it was performed on a separate organ/structure |
|
Date
|
Action
|
Notes
|
|---|---|---|
| 2011-01-01 | Changed | Short description changed. |
| 2003-01-01 | Changed | Code description changed. |
| Pre-1990 | Added | Code added. |
Get instant expert-level medical coding assistance.