Anesthesia Coding Alert
Determine Whether 01967 or 62319 Is Better for Labor With No Delivery
Question: An expectant mom came to the hospital at the 37-week mark and was given an epidural. It was then removed with a time of 2036-0840 without her delivering. Should this be coded as 62319 or 01967?
South Carolina Subscriber
Answer: Coding for labor and delivery cases can get tricky, especially since the anesthesia service can change from what is originally expected.
When no delivery occurs and the patient is sent home, many practices report 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 labor]) with modifier 53 (Discontinued procedure).
Explanation: It’s better to report 01967 in this situation than 62319 (Injection[s], including indwelling catheter placement, continuous infusion or intermittent bolus, of diagnostic or therapeutic substance[s] [including anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution], not including neurolytic substances, includes contrast for localization when performed, epidural or subarachnoid; lumbar or sacral [caudal]). Why? Years ago, coders reported 62319 for labor epidurals. However, 62319 is set as a flat-fee procedure code and isn’t intended for labor epidurals anymore. Code 01967 is anesthesia specific and includes time, so is a better choice.
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