Anesthesia Coding Alert

As practices prepare for ICD-10 implementation on Oct. 1, 2013, one practical question keeps resurfacing: How should you report diagnosis codes for claims that begin on dates of service before Oct. 1, 2013, but don't end until Oct. 1 or later?

Example: The anesthesiologist begins administering continuous anesthesia for a surgery at 11 p.m. on Sept. 30, 2013. His involvement in the case ends at 2 a.m. on Oct. 1, 2013. CMS has said you can't report both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes on the same claim (if you submit a claim with both code sets, CMS will return the claim to providers unpaid and marked as "unprocessable"). Do you report ICD-9 codes since the date of service began before the ICD-10 implementation date?

Solution: CMS answered the question in Transmittal 950, which breaks down how each facility should report claims that span the ICD-10 implementation date. According to the transmittal, anesthesia providers should use ICD-9 codes and list Sept. 30, 2013 as both the "from" and "through" dates.