Anesthesia Coding Alert
Testing an AICD
New York Subscriber
Answer: Some carriers accept anesthesia code 00520 (anesthesia for closed chest procedures; [including bronchoscopy] not otherwise specified); others accept 00534 ( anesthesia for transvenous insertion or replacement of pacing cardioverter-defibrillator). Code 00534 has a base unit of seven, compared to a base unit of six for 00520. Some coding professionals believe these base units may be a little high for the work involved, and recommend 00400 (anesthesia for procedures on the integumentary system on the extremities, anterior trunk and perineum; not otherwise specified) as a better alternative. Regardless of anesthesia code, append modifier -QS (monitored anesthesia care service) to designate MAC service. Depending on the patient's status, modifier -G9 (monitored anesthesia care for patient who has history of severe cardio-pulmonary condition) may also be appropriate if the patient has coexisting medical problems.
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