Anesthesia Coding Alert

OB cases can cross dates, but your coding might not

Keep this easy tip in mind to combat +01968 denials. When a labor and delivery case spans two days and results in an unplanned cesarean section, payment for the secondary anesthesia hinges on you painting the correct date-of-service story. Otherwise, the insurer might deny +01968 (Anesthesia for cesarean delivery following neuraxial analgesia/ anesthesia [List separately in addition to code for primary procedure performed]). That's what happened to subscriber Arlene Soriano with Riverdale Anesthesia in Georgia. The case: A patient began epidural labor on one day that crossed over into the next. On the second day, her physician decided to deliver the baby by c-section. The same anesthesiologist was in attendance for the entire labor and delivery. Coding +01968 Alone Raises Questions Soriano reported 01967 (Neuraxial labor analgesia/anesthesia for planned vaginal delivery [this includes any repeat subarachnoid needle placement and drug injection and/or any necessary replacement of an epidural catheter during [...]
You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.
Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:
  • Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
  • Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
  • Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
  • Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
  • 6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
  • The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles in this issue of

Anesthesia Coding Alert

View All