Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Our facility does not have an anesthesiologist on staff so relies on CRNAs. A non-anesthesiologist who is also not the surgeon will be supervising the CRNAs. Is this necessary? Is this supervision billable by the physician?

Iowa Subscriber

Answer: If you will be doing the billing for the certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), you will only need to append a QZ modifier (CRNA service: without medical direction by a physician) to the code on the CRNA’s claim. No other modifier is appropriate. If the insurance company does not required modifiers, simply report the service under the name of the CRNA without a medical direction modifier.