Anesthesia Coding Alert
Reader Question:
Remember That Monitoring Vitals Is Part of Anesthesia Service
Published on Tue Jan 14, 2020
Question: Is there a billable code for monitoring oxygen and heart function during vein surgery (endovenous ablation)? The physician performs the procedure in an office setting and bills 36478, 36479, and/or 36470. Washington Subscriber Answer: Monitoring the patient’s oxygen, heart rate, and blood pressure is always included in the scope of the main procedure. If you’re billing for the anesthesiologist’s service, only report the applicable anesthesia code and the associated time units.
Related Articles
Other Articles in this issue of
Anesthesia Coding Alert
- Documentation:
Check Even the Small Details Before Filing Your Claims
Positions, approaches, and more can make big differences. Every anesthesia coder knows that CPT® anesthesia codes [...] - Pain Management:
Bone Up on the Differences Between Discography and Decompression Before Assigning Codes
Hint: One procedure is diagnostic; the other is therapeutic. Discography and disc decompression are two [...] - Regulations:
Here's Why You Should Keep Telemedicine and Opioid Claims Especially Clean
Be warned: The feds are watching for potential fraud. If you report telemedicine services or [...] - Technology:
Don't Let the Versatility of Devices Be Your Downfall
Follow these tips to shore up security. The more common and user-friendly mobile devices become, [...] - You Be the Coder:
Submit This for Epidural Patch Placement
Question: How do I code an epidural blood patch procedure on the same day as [...] - Reader Question:
Induced Hypothermia Doesn't Always Point to +99116
Question: When is it not correct to append +99116 for hypothermia? Louisiana Subscriber Answer: A few anesthesia [...] - Reader Question:
Remember That Monitoring Vitals Is Part of Anesthesia Service
Question: Is there a billable code for monitoring oxygen and heart function during vein surgery [...] - Reader Question:
Get the Lowdown on Non-typical Migraine Diagnoses
Question: I know about standard migraines and I think I have a grip on how [...]
View All
