Anesthesia Coding Alert

Upcoming changes - and retroactive ones - make a difference   Expect an easy transition to ICD-9 2005: Pain management coders and practitioners shouldn't have too much trouble transitioning when all-new 2005 ICD-9 codes become effective Oct. 1, 2004. Next year's changes to ICD-9 will have little direct effect on pain management practices, and offer no new diagnosis codes specifically of interest to the specialty. Your main concern will probably be the loss of a grace period for adjusting to the new and updated codes. You can view the complete list of additions and revisions at www.cms.hhs.gov/medlearn/icd9code.asp#coding.   Good news for fluoroscopic guidance coders: Aetna reversed its policy of denying fluoroscopic guidance claims when you report them with spinal and paraspinal injections, effective August 15, 2004. The carrier now reimburses for 76005 (Fluoroscopic guidance and localization of needle or catheter tip for spine or paraspinous diagnostic or therapeutic injection procedures [epidural, transforaminal epidural, subarachnoid, paravertebral facet joint, paravertebral facet joint nerve or sacroiliac joint], including neurolytic agent destruction) during these injection procedures.
 
The only exceptions will be when the procedure's descriptor includes imaging or when the physician uses the fluoroscopy to facilitate more intense imaging procedures. Read more about it in the news section of the American Society of Anesthesiologists' Web site at www.asahq.org.