Anesthesia Coding Alert

Check whether your payer requires 59.

Because providers normally perform line placements in conjunction with other anesthesia-related services, you may need to distinguish the services on the claim.

Here’s how: Append modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service) to the appropriate line placement code.

Example: “Some payers require a 59 modifier appended to the CVA (central venous access) code and some carriers won’t pay with modifier 59,” says Kelly D. Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CAN-PC, CHCA, CPMA, CPC, CPC-I, owner of Perfect Office Solutions in Leesburg, Fla. “But the majority of insurers pay for CVP procedures separate from anesthesia.”

Limits: Some payers will limit payment by considering the CVA line and anesthesia service “multiple procedures” and only pay half the expected amount for line placement. Watch for these types of limitations when negotiating contracts, Dennis advises.