Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Can I bill for anesthesia time in the recovery room if the patient has not been released to postoperative supervision?

Florida Subscriber

Answer: When a patient's condition requires constant physician attendance in the recovery room, groups often bill critical care codes 99291 (Critical care, evaluation and management of the critically ill or critically injured patient; first 30-74 minutes) and +99292 (... each additional 30 minutes [list separately in addition to code for primary service]) or prolonged attendance codes +99356 (]; first hour [list separately in addition to code for inpatient evaluation and management service]) and +99357 (... each additional 30 minutes [list separately in addition to code for prolonged physician service]), depending on the circumstances.

If the physician stays with the patient just because the recovery room is short-handed, many coders don't bill the time - the American Society of Anesthesiologists defines anesthesia end time as "when the patient may be safely placed under postanesthesia supervision." Note that it reads, "When the patient may be safely placed," not "When the patient is placed ..."