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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Pinpoint Injection Locations With Updated Codes
Coding for somatic nerve injections ... Read more
Bier Blocks Are Common, So Code Them Correctly
Just because the Bier block is one of the most commonly performed regional anesthesia tech... Read more
What Sets Bier Blocks Apart?
The anesthetic's delivery during a Bier block sets it apart from other anesthesia te... Read more
Indicator Modifiers Help Determine Correct TEE Coding
With quarterly Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits changing so many ... Read more
Release Reimbursement for Extended Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
When reporting extended treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), make sure you do... Read more
Dont Let Coding for Migraine Treatment Give You a Headache
Because CMS provides a number of migraine and diagnosis codes, understanding their dif... Read more
Whiplash Treatment:
Knowing How to Submit Can Ease CodersPain
Coding for the diagnosis and treatment of whiplash is usually pretty straigh... Read more
Cystoscopy Coding Correction
The May 2002 Anesthesia and Pain Management Coding Alert discussed coding for various ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Submitting for Sedation and Monitoring
Question: The physicians in our practice contract with an ambulatory surgery center (A... Read more
Reader Questions:
CRNA-Administered Epidural
Question: How should we bill for a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) who a... Read more
Reader Questions:
Global Period for Joint Injection
Question: We have a pain patient who was seen for an injection with fluoroscopic ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Phantom Limb Syndrome
Question: What is the diagnosis code for phantom limb, and what methods are used for... Read more
Reader Questions:
Criteria for New Versus Established Patient
Question: In an outpatient setting, what are the criteria for a new versus an establis... Read more
Reader Questions:
E/M With Counseling
Question: Our physicians sometimes spend a lot of time counseling and explaining treat... Read more
Reader Questions:
Spinal Accessory Nerve Lesion and Long Thoracic Nerve Injury
Question: What are the ICD-9 codes for a spinal accessory nerve lesion and a... Read more
Reader Questions:
Understanding the Format of CPT Descriptors
Question: I work with a physician who feels that CPT 20550* (Injection; tendon sheath... Read more
Reader Questions:
Units for Endograft Repair
Question: I am coding for anesthesia during an endograft repair of an abdominal a... Read more
Reader Questions:
Epidural and Spinal Anesthesia Combined
Question: I've received some charge sheets that have both "epidural" and "spinal" an... Read more
Reader Questions:
MAC for Extubation
Question: Is it possible to charge for an extubation procedure? The surgeon did the ex... Read more
Reader Questions:
Lost Consciousness During MAC
Question: One of our CRNAs says that if the patient loses consciousness during a MAC... Read more
Reader Questions:
Pain Management Diagnosis
Question: My CRNA (unsupervised) administered anesthesia for a bladder suspension for ... Read more
Reader Questions:
Cesium Device Placement
Question: How should we code for placement of a cesium device for a patient with cervi... Read more
Reader Questions:
Endovascular Repair of Septal Defect
Question: What is the correct anesthesia code for endovascular repair of a septal defe... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Radiofrequency With Bulging Disk
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
CCI Edits Mean Many Bundles for Various Injection Codes
The newest round of Correct Coding Initiative (CCI) edits (8.3)... Read more
READER QUESTION:
Different Deliveries of Twins
Question: An expectant mom received a labor epidural for Baby A from 12:00-13:45, then... Read more
READER QUESTION:
Medical Necessity for MAC Modifiers
Question: Our state requires that we use modifier -G8 (Monitored anesthesia care [MAC]... Read more
READER QUESTION:
Hernia Anesthesia
Question: Can you help clarify anesthesia codes CPT 00752 (Anesthesia for hernia repa... Read more
READER QUESTION:
Complicating Conditions
Question: How should I bill anesthesia for a patient of extreme age, and anesthesi... Read more
READER QUESTION:
Translumbar Port Placement
Question: How should I code for translumbar port placement for a patient who needs per... Read more
READER QUESTION:
Postoperative Anesthesia for Respiratory Problems
Question: Which diagnosis codes support the use of anesthesia when caring for postoper... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Nerve Blocks After Surgery
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
Tiny Incisions, Big Decisions:
Are You Coding IR Procedures Correctly?
CPT Codes 2003 is coming out next mo... Read more
Is the Procedure Arterial or Venous/Lymphatic?
With the anesthesia codes for interventional radiology distinguishing between arterial... Read more
Do You Know Which ICD-9 Changes for 2003 Apply to You?
Just as autumn is always marked by changing leaves, the beginning of new school ye... Read more
How Do ICD-9s Affect Anesthesia?
Most carriers pay claims based on CPT Codes , so ICD-9 Diagnosis Codes seem less i... Read more
Medicare Modifiers Go Private
Aetna Healthcare broke new ground this summer with its decision to use several m... Read more
Reader Question:
Removal of Ventral-Wall Mesh
Question: How should I code the removal of ventral-wall infected mesh from a prior r... Read more
Reader Question:
Units for Ventilation Assist
Question: Our anesthesiologists are concerned that billing eight units for 94656 (... Read more
Reader Question:
Independent Medical Exams
Question: A pain management group has asked our physician to perform IMEs (independe... Read more
Reader Question:
Standby Service for OB
Question: How should I bill anesthesia for a patient of extreme age, and anesthesia ... Read more
Reader Question:
Fluoroscopy With Arthrocentesis
Question: Which modifier should we append for Medicare claims when 76003 (Fluoro... Read more
Reader Question:
Allocating Physician Time
Question: An anesthesiologist was involved with a case for 18 hours. He was personal... Read more
Reader Question:
Median Branch Nerve Injection
Question: Which CPT code should we bill for anesthetizing the median branch ... Read more
Reader Question:
Administering MAC During Epidurals
Question: How should we code when our anesthesiologist provides MAC while anot... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Two-Day Elbow Replacement and Prosthesis Procedure
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before loo... Read more
Meet the Challenges of Coding During Spinal Surgery
Coding for anesthesia during spinal surgery can be almost as complex as the surgeri... Read more
Special Considerations for 00670
Of the spinal anesthesia codes available, only CPT 00670 specifically mentio... Read more
Know the Spinal Possibilities
22554, Arthrodesis, anterior interbody technique, including minimal diskectomy to ... Read more
Look for Revised Place-of-Service Indicators in 2003
As part of its proposed revisions to the 2003 Physician Fee Schedule, the Centers fo... Read more
The Lowdown on Lumbar Laminectomy and Laminotomy
Correctly coding for lumbar laminectomy and laminotomy is a puzzle for... Read more
Coding for Intrathecal Pain Therapy for the Cancer Patient
On top of dealing with the dread diagnosis of cancer and all of its ramifications,... Read more
Negotiating an Effective Pain Management Contract
Pain management services are still relatively foreign territory to most payers in ... Read more
Reader Question:
Extracorporeal Immunoadsorption Therapy
Question: I have read that some Medicare contractors allow reimbursement for extracorp... Read more
Reader Question:
Nerve Conduction Studies With E/M
Question: Is it possible for a pain management physician to bill for nerve conduction ... Read more
Reader Question:
Administration of Intranasal Lidocaine
Question: How should we code and submit for the administration of intranasal lidocaine... Read more
Reader Question:
Bier Blocks
Question: How should I code for Bier blocks? What are some of the more common diagno... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing for Bilateral Facet Joint Destruction
Question: Can 64622 (Destruction by neurolytic agent, paravertebral facet joint nerve;... Read more
Reader Question:
Piriformis Blocks
Question: Do piriformis blocks fall under 64450* (Injection, anesthetic agent; other p... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing Medicare for Therapeutic Injection
Question: Under Medicare, can I bill 90782 (Therapeutic, prophylactic or diagnostic in... Read more
Reader Question:
Thoracic or Lumbar Level?
Question: What level would you consider T12-L1: thoracic or lumbar? I'm specifically l... Read more
Reader Question:
Outpatient Consult Billing
Question: Surgeons in our outpatient services department often request that an anesthe... Read more
Reader Question:
Sedation or Block for Epidural Injection
Question: What anesthesia code is appropriate when the patient undergoes IV sedation... Read more
Reader Question:
AV Fistula Through Groin
Question: What is the correct anesthesia code to report AV (arteriovenous) fistula thr... Read more
Reader Question:
Dialysis Catheter Removal
Question: Our anesthesiologist placed a catheter to use during a patient's dialysis tr... Read more
Reader Question:
Coding for Conscious Sedation
Question: What is the most appropriate method for coding and billing for conscious sedatio... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Tesio Catheter Removal
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before lookin... Read more
Does Documenting the Correct CPT Surgical Code Really Matter?
Things don't always turn out the way the anesthesiologist (or the surgeo... Read more
Yes,You Can Get Separate E/M Reimbursement
When billing for services outside the global anesthesia fee, some code... Read more
Test Your E/M Coding Skills
How well do you know the ins and outs of billing E/M services separately from services... Read more
Carrier Update:
Aetna Now Wants MAC and CRNA Modifiers
It's not uncommon for commercial carriers to follow Medicare's lead ... Read more
Reader Question:
Anesthesia Code for Kyphoplasty
Question: Which anesthesia code will Medicare accept for kyphoplasty? Other spina... Read more
Reader Question:
Coding for Bier Block
Question: Which code is used for a bier block/ sympathetic block with bretylium? ... Read more
Reader Question:
Roux-en-Y Anesthesia
Question: I know that 00797 (Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in upper abdome... Read more
Reader Question:
Rectus Abdominus Muscle Injection
Question: A patient received an injection of Bupivacaine for pain in the right low... Read more
Reader Question:
Intubation With General Anesthesia
Question: Does general anesthesia during procedures require intubation? If so, how... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing for Qualifying Circumstances
Question: How should I bill anesthesia for a patient of extreme age, and anesthesi... Read more
Reader Question:
Administering MAC During Epidural
Question: How should we code when our anesthesiologist provides MAC while another ... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Chronic Pain Diagnosis Codes
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking... Read more
Focus on Key Areas to Survive an Anesthesia Audit
Audits whether conducted internally or by an outside consultant always cause str... Read more
Quick Checks for Auditing
Keeping accurate patient records takes time and a lot of attention to detail. Her... Read more
Handling Anesthesia During CABG With Hypothermia
Though most anesthesiologists routinely lower a patient's body temperature to hypoth... Read more
What Constitutes Hypothermia?
Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines "hypothermia" as "A body temperature significan... Read more
Reader Question:
New OB Anesthesia Code 01960 Clarified
Question: Can you give me a specific example of when the new obstetrical anesthesia CP... Read more
Reader Question:
Hemodilution
Question: Code 01980 (Acute normovolemic hemodi-lution [removal of >10% of estima... Read more
Reader Question:
ESI Reimbursement
Question: Medicare denies our claims when we bill surgical codes for epidural steroi... Read more
Reader Question:
MAC for Cervical Epidural
Question: How should I code for MAC (monitored anesthesia care) when one of our anesth... Read more
Reader Question:
Eye Procedure
Question: My physician often provides anesthesia for eye procedures. When a senile ect... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Tubal Ligation After Delivery
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Use Physical Status Modifiers Correctly to Increase Reimbursement
Latest on Physical Status Modifiers (P1-P6) from Codify's Anesthesia Coder   ... Read more
Clarify Purpose of Services to Bill Research Care Correctly
Medical research often centers on procedures that include anesthesia (from special t... Read more
Coding for Treatments Associated With Chronic Abdominal Pain
The causes of chronic abdominal pain range from the identifiable, such as Crohn&#... Read more
A Prescription for Coding Neurogenic Pain
Neurogenic pain results from damage to the peripheral nerves or the central nervous sy... Read more
What Coders Should Know:
Diagnosing and Treating Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
" Recent studies have estimated that 10 to 30 percent of those who suffer from chronic lo... Read more
Reader Question:
Sciatic Nerve Block
Question: The CPT code for a sciatic nerve block is CPT 64445* (Injection, anesth... Read more
Reader Question:
Injecting Anesthetic Agents
Question: Our pain physicians frequently use 64450* (Injection, anesthetic agent; othe... Read more
Reader Question:
Myelography Injections
Question: There seems to be a lot of confusion surrounding coding for myelography inje... Read more
Reader Question:
Facet Joint Nerve Induction
Question: When a facet joint nerve injection is done by blocking the medial branch ner... Read more
Reader Question:
Spinous Process Injections
Question: We have recently begun performing spinous process injections, and are n... Read more
Reader Question:
Attempted Labor Epidural
Question: One of our anesthesiologists attempted to insert a labor epidural but failed... Read more
Reader Question:
Using the New Ob Add-on Codes
Question: We are still attempting to code correctly using the new OB anesthe... Read more
Reader Question:
Anesthesia for Nonmedically Necessary Procedure
Question: Our anesthesiologist spent several hours providing anesthesia for a surgical... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Spinal Endoscopy With MAC
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Use New TPI Codes for More Accurate Billing
Trigger point injections (TPIs) have become common procedures for anesthesia specialis... Read more
Certification May Be Critical to TEE Reimbursement
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a diagnostic procedure and monitoring to... Read more
Associated Procedures Key to Cystoscopy Coding
Cystoscopy the inspection of the interior of the bladder by means of a cysto... Read more
What Is TEE?
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a minimally invasive procedure that involves... Read more
Reader Question:
Neurolytic Injections for Back Pain
Question: We are having trouble being reimbursed for 64620 (Destruction by neurolytic ... Read more
Reader Question:
Fluid Aspiration From Pump
Question: How should I code aspiration of spinal fluid from an implanted pump (the pat... Read more
Reader Question:
Emergency Intubation
Question: A child was brought into the operating room with upper respiratory distress ... Read more
Reader Question:
Morphine Epidural Injection
Question: A patient toward the end of her second trimester came to our office with deh... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Paravertebral Nerve Root Block
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Understanding Terminology Is Key to Coding for Bone Fracture Repairs
Coding for an anesthesiologist's involvement in bone fracture repair requires knowing ... Read more
Report Anesthesia for BMAs with Surgical Code, Modifier
Although CPT Codes 2001 introduced a code for anesthesia during bone marrow aspir... Read more
Four Ways to Bill Anesthesia for One-Lung Ventilation
Anesthesia providers sometimes provide one-lung ventilation for procedures when the s... Read more
Reader Question:
Coding for Field Avoidance
Question: What is the correct way to code for field avoidance? Should certain codes and/or... Read more
Reader Question:
Diagnosis for Labor Epidural
Question: What is an appropriate diagnosis for a labor epidural? We have used 644.10 (Othe... Read more
Reader Question:
Pediatric Conscious Sedation
Question: A physician wants to charge for administering conscious sedation to children dur... Read more
Reader Question:
Fluoroscopy and Sacroiliac Joint Injections
Question: I've seen conflicting reports about whether CCI edits have bundled 76005 (Fluo... Read more
Reader Question:
Dental Anesthesia
Question: Which anesthesia codes are accepted for anesthesia during dental procedures such... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing for A-Line
Question: If an A-line is inserted in the operating room after anesthesia time has started... Read more
Reader Question:
Incident To for Postoperative Pain
Question: Our anesthesiologists would like the groups certified registered nurse anestheti... Read more
Reader Question:
Anesthesia during Critical Care Transport
Question: The anesthesiologist inserted an emergency airway and is billing for two hours o... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Labor Epidural with Two Physicians
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking a... Read more
Labor Epidurals:
The Pros and Cons of Six Reporting Methods
Anesthesia for most procedures is charged based on the number of base units for the ... Read more
Bill for Neuromas and Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome Based on Examination, Tests and Treatment
Diagnosis of nerve and ligament disorders, such as neuromas and tarsal tunnel syndrom... Read more
Use Category III for Extracorp-oreal Shock-Wave Therapy
A new section introduced in CPT 2002 includes a set of Category III codes temporary cod... Read more
News Brief:
CMS Releases Interim RVUs for New Trigger-Point Codes
An article in the December issue of Pain Management Coding Alert described t... Read more
Pinpoint Fibromyalgia Diagnosis and Treatment
The most common diagnosis code for fibromyalgia is ICD-9 729.1 (Other disorders of sof... Read more
Code Lumbar Puncture Based on Anesthesia, Surgical Service
One of the biggest challenges with billing for lumbar punctures is determining wh... Read more
Report Anesthesiologists Services for Breast Cancer
From diagnostic procedures through surgery and breast reconstruction, the anesthesiolo... Read more
Reader Question:
Chemodenervation and Botox
Question: What are the current chemodenervation codes for billing Botox injections? Shou... Read more
Reader Question:
Nerve Root Injection with SI Joint Injection
Question: A physician dictated that a patient had a paravertebral sacroiliac (SI) joint an... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing for a Phone Hearing
Question: Which code(s) should I use for a workers compensation phone hearing in which my ... Read more
Reader Question:
ESI and TPI on Separate Sites
Question: Our physician did an epidural steroid injection (ESI) and trigger-point injectio... Read more
Reader Question:
Laser-Induced Thermotherapy
Question: Which CPT code is for laser-induced thermotherapy? Does Medicare or private insu... Read more
Reader Question:
Pain Injection Procedure with MAC
Question: We have a physician who wants to perform monitored anesthesia care (MAC) during ... Read more
Reader Question:
Anesthesia Stand-By Versus MAC
Question: One of our clients performs left-heart catheterizations and percutaneous translu... Read more
Reader Question:
Charging for Phone Consultations
Question: Is there a code to report a phone conversation between a physician and a patient... Read more
Reader Question:
Time between Cases
Question: Is there a reasonable standard for the amount of time that should be allowed bet... Read more
Reader Question:
Billing for Intrathecal via Spinal
Question: An anesthesiologist says that he bills extra for the injection of a narcotic (... Read more
You Be the Coder:
New Code for Abortion Anesthesia
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before loo... Read more
New Ob-Anesthesia Codes:
Expand Reimbursement with More Precision
One of the biggest changes to the anesthesia section of CPT Codes for 2002 w... Read more
Pain Management:
Five Successful Treatment Options for Chronic Pain
Millions of Americans suffer chronic pain due to fibromyalgia, reflex sympat... Read more
Ring in the New Year with New Resources
Although coding resources abound, anesthesia coding tools sometimes seem scarce. In ad... Read more
Pool Your Top Tools
If you have a favorite resource not listed here that youd like to share with other readers... Read more
News Brief:
Medicare Adopts Specialty Designation for Pain Management
Effective Jan. 1, 2002, CMS recognizes a specialty designation for pain management physici... Read more
Reader Question:
Testing an AICD
Question: Our anesthesia team often goes to the cath lab to test an AICD (automatic inte... Read more
Reader Question:
ACL Surgery
Question: Which CPT Codes and corresponding anesthesia codes should I use for anterior ... Read more
Reader Question:
Dilation and Evacuation
Question: Which anesthesia code is best for a procedure described as dilation and evacuati... Read more
Reader Question:
Pain Management Nerve Blocks
Question: The anesthesiologist who performs nerve blocks for pain management says I should... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Lumbar Puncture and EEG
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before ... Read more
Use Modifiers -GA, -GY and -GZ To Eliminate Claim Paperwork
It's a fact of reimbursement life: Carriers don't always reimburse for anesthesia, esp... Read more
Anesthesia and Medicare Part B Conversion Factors Decrease
As anesthesia coders and practitioners flip their calendars to 2002, they wi... Read more
Fluoroscopy Codes Now Bundled With Primary Procedure
Physicians often use fluoroscopy in conjunction with diagnostic procedures and injecti... Read more
News Brief:
CRNA Supervision Rule Made Final: Check Your Local Laws
After four years of deliberation and comment from the public and health care community, ... Read more
Reader Question:
Line Placements and Bronchoscopy
Question: Our anesthesiologist placed a central line, arterial line and a double-lumen cat... Read more
Reader Question:
Epidural and Hysterectomy
Question: We administered anesthesia for a labor patient that included 60 minutes of face-... Read more
Reader Question:
MAC for Colonoscopy
Question: How should I code for monitored anesthesia care (MAC) during a colonoscopy? Ou... Read more
You Be the Coder:
Radioactive Seed Implants
Test your coding knowledge.  Determine how you would code this situation before l... Read more
Available Years:  2002  2001  2000  1999