Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: Our rural hospital employs one CRNA and one anesthesiologist. Our state allows the CRNA to work without an anesthesiologist. Considering that, I need to know how to report time during these cases:

The CRNA's case goes from 9:02 until 9:54 a.m. When she finishes her case, she reports to a case the anesthesiologist began at 9:26 a.m. It ends at 11:59 a.m.


Georgia Subscriber

Answer: You'll bill for each provider's involvement in the cases. For the first case, report the CRNA's time as 9:02 until 9:54 a.m. Report her part of the second case beginning with 9:55 (or whatever time she documents) until 11:59 a.m.How you report the anesthesiologist's involvement depends on whether the CRNA took over the case or assisted him with it. If she replaced him in the case, report his time as 9:26 until 9:55 a.m. If he was present for the entire case, report his time as 9:26 until 11:59 a.m.