Anesthesia Coding Alert
Pre-anesthesia Work Isn't the Same As Consult
Question: I have recently had some discussion with our office administrator as to why we are not billing anesthesia consults for our CRNA. Would it be appropriate to use an E/M code for the consult with a pre-procedural ICD-10 diagnosis? Iowa Subscriber Answer: A E/M code would not be appropriate for the routine evaluation of the patient prior to anesthesia. Per both CPT® and CMS/NCCI guidelines, the codes for anesthesia service already include pre- and post-anesthesia care by the provider. Also, evaluation of a patient prior to administering anesthesia does not meet the definition of a consult, which is basically another provider's request for a specialist's opinion about how to treat a patient's particular problem. A CRNA can provide and bill a consult if they are requested to perform one, but not just for their routine pre-procedural work.
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