Anesthesia Coding Alert

Here's a sneak preview at what's coming down the pike

Expected CPT updates of interest to anesthesia practices for 2005 include one new anesthesia code and several revised surgical codes. CPT 2005 goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2005.

Anesthesia providers expect to see a new code for anesthesia during procedures on the heart, pericardial sac and great vessels of the chest (with pump oxygenator) on patients under 1 year of age, and minor revisions to codes 63685 (Incision and subcutaneous placement of spinal neurostimulator pulse generator or receiver, direct or inductive coupling) and 95971 (Electronic analysis of implanted neurostimulator pulse generator system [e.g., rate, pulse amplitude and duration, configuration of wave form, battery status, electrode selectability, output modulation, cycling, impedance and patient compliance measurements]; simple brain, spinal cord or peripheral [i.e., peripheral nerve, autonomic nerve, neuromuscular] neurostimulator pulse generator/transmitter, with intraoperative or subsequent programming).

Remember that CMS has eliminated the 90-day grace period that usually gives you time to switch from one year's CPT to the next. You must begin using CPT 2005 codes on Jan. 1, 2005, so be sure you - and your software - are ready for the change.

Check next month's issue of Anesthesia and Pain Management Coding Alert for more details on the changes and how to prepare for them.