Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Are there new coding edits associated with billing 93312, 93320, and 93325 for anesthesiologists? We are getting denials from all insurance providers when we bill for these. They tell us that as of the beginning of 2019 it is no longer billable. Where do I find this information?

Connecticut Subscriber

Answer: The codes you refer to are associated with TEE, or transesophageal echocardiography:

• 93312 – Echocardiography, transesophageal, real-time with image documentation (2D) (with or without M-mode recording); including probe placement, image acquisition, interpretation and report 
• +93320 – Doppler echocardiography, pulsed wave and/or continuous wave with spectral display (List separately in addition to codes for echocardio­graphic imaging); complete 
• 93325 – Doppler echocardiography color flow velocity mapping (List separately in addition to codes for echocardiography).  

These TEE codes have not changed for 2019, but the anesthesia code has. In the past, you would have reported anesthesia during TEE with 00740 (Anesthesia for upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, endoscope introduced proximal to duodenum). However, that code was been deleted in 2017 so you should submit the claim with 00731 (Anesthesia for upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, endoscope introduced proximal to duodenum; not otherwise specified) instead.