06/17/2026

ASCO’s June 2026 Coding Tip of the Month: Hydration

Hydration reporting is restricted to intravenous infusions of pre-packaged fluids and electrolytes used for supportive care. While many oncology protocols require pre- or post-hydration to mitigate toxicities, these services can only be reported when they are medically necessary and account for time separate from that of any other drug administration (push or infusion). Hydration is not reported if the fluid is administered concurrent to another drug or substance, a vehicle for drug delivery, or simply to maintain line patency ("keep open") before or after therapeutic services.

Hydration must be documented for a minimum of 31 minutes of exclusive hydration infusion time to report the applicable code. For the first hour of independent hydration, use code 96360; for subsequent hours or when hydration follows a different primary service (such as chemotherapy) via the same access point, report 96361. Note that hydration of 30 minutes or less is not separately billable.

Stay up-to-date on ASCO's Coding and Reimbursement page.