Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: The anesthesiologist spent 20 minutes with a patient and provided Fentanyl, but there was no IV sedation. The surgeon cancelled the procedure due to atrial fibrillation. Can the anesthesiologist bill for anything for his time?

Pennsylvania Subscriber

Answer: Yes, this is a billable service. The anesthesiologist can report the appropriate anesthesia code based on the planned surgery. If the insurance requires, you may also append modifier 53 (Discontinued procedure) and include an explanation of the encounter. Typically, the surgeon reports modifier 53. Since the anesthesiologist provided an anesthesia service, the reduced amount of time equals a reduced payment. You should also note that some payers have specific reporting rules if a case is canceled before induction of anesthetics.