# Time units



## comunale (Jun 16, 2008)

Does anyone know if the 1974 California Relative Value Scales info. on billing for 15 minute increments of anesthesia time and then 10 minute increments after four hours of anesthesia.

Apparently some places use this 10 minute increment currently although most of the literature only talks of the 15 minute increments.

Please help clarify!

CAcoder


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## Codingabc123 (Jul 1, 2008)

The 10-minute increments after the first 4 hours are not industry wide, in my experience.  Some contracted carriers throw that in as a bone at negotiations, but none of our larger carriers nor Medicare follow it.  The industry trend is per minute payment, eliminating time units altogether.  Most government payers are following this with the commercial industry close on their heels.  Another trend is rounded time units to either tenths or down for 7< and up for 8+ minutes but still 15-minute based.

Hope that helps.

Steve Young, CPC
Ahma
Frederick, MD


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