Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: When an anesthesiologist starts a labor epidural for a vaginal delivery and then a different anesthesiologist is present for a c-section, should we report 01968 or use 01961 because of the different physician?

Louisiana Subscriber

Answer: Report the first anesthesiologist's service with 01967 (Neuraxial labor analgesia/anesthesia for planned vaginal deliver [this includes any repeat subarachnoid needle placement and drug injection and/or any necessary replacement of an epidural catheter during labor]).

For the second anesthesiologist, report +01968 (Anesthesia for cesarean delivery following neuraxial labor analgesia/anesthesia [list separately in addition to code for primary procedure performed]).

Why not 01961: Code 01961 (Anesthesia for cesarean delivery only) represents all services associated with anesthesia for a c-section. You won't report it in this case because it implies that the second physician completed all the work associated with the delivery instead of only being present for the c-section.