Anesthesia Coding Alert
How Do ICD-9s Affect Anesthesia?
Most carriers pay claims based on CPT Codes , so ICD-9 Diagnosis Codes seem less important in many cases (especially for specialties such as anesthesia) than the procedure codes themselves. So why are they still important to anesthesia providers? Second, pain management physicians can use ICD-9 codes to help justify their services for patients with conditions such as reflex sympathetic dystrophy (337.20-337.29), sciatica (724.3), neuritis or secondary to lumbar intervertebral disk disease (722.10 ), or lesion in the nerve itself (355.0), and nerve entrapment such as carpal tunnel syndrome (354.0).
First, having detailed diagnosis codes helps support the use of anesthesia in some cases. For example, modifier -G9 (Monitored anesthesia care for patient who has history of severe cardio-pulmonary condition) can only be used for patients with particular diagnoses, such as malignant hypertension (401.0), cardiomyopathy (425.0-425.9), life-threatening arrhythmias (426.0-427.69) or heart failure (428.0-428.9).
The Internet has a wealth of information about ICD-9 and the changes for 2003. Two sites with details are:
Anesthesia Coding Alert
- Tiny Incisions, Big Decisions:
Are You Coding IR Procedures Correctly?
CPT Codes 2003 is coming out next month, but some coders are still trying to [...] - Is the Procedure Arterial or Venous/Lymphatic?
With the anesthesia codes for interventional radiology distinguishing between arterial and venous/ lymphatic procedures, you [...] - You Be the Coder:
Two-Day Elbow Replacement and Prosthesis Procedure
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the [...] - 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 years [...] - How Do ICD-9s Affect Anesthesia?
Most carriers pay claims based on CPT Codes , so ICD-9 Diagnosis Codes [...] - Reader Question:
Removal of Ventral-Wall Mesh
Question: How should I code the removal of ventral-wall infected mesh from a prior recurrent [...] - Reader Question:
Units for Ventilation Assist
Question: Our anesthesiologists are concerned that billing eight units for 94656 (Ventilation assist and management, [...] - Reader Question:
Independent Medical Exams
Question: A pain management group has asked our physician to perform IMEs (independent medical exams) [...] - Reader Question:
Standby Service for OB
Question: How should I bill anesthesia for a patient of extreme age, and anesthesia complicated [...] - Reader Question:
Fluoroscopy With Arthrocentesis
Question: Which modifier should we append for Medicare claims when 76003 (Fluoroscopic guidance for needle [...] - Reader Question:
Allocating Physician Time
Question: An anesthesiologist was involved with a case for 18 hours. He was personally performing [...] - Reader Question:
Median Branch Nerve Injection
Question: Which CPT code should we bill for anesthetizing the median branch nerves alone or [...] - Reader Question:
Administering MAC During Epidurals
Question: How should we code when our anesthesiologist provides MAC while another physician (in another [...] - Medicare Modifiers Go Private
Aetna Healthcare broke new ground this summer with its decision to use several modifiers formerly [...] - Statement of Ownership, Management, and Circulation
