Anesthesia Coding Alert
Consider Diagnosis When Deciding on Anesthesia With Injection
Question: When we have a team of anesthesiologists working together during injection procedures, Anesthesiologist A usually bills 01991, 01992, and/or 01935 for administering anesthesia while Anesthesiologist B performs the surgical service/injection. Anesthesiologist B reports 62310, 62311, and/or 64490 as appropriate. The new Crosswalk states, "Anesthesia not typically required" for these services. How do we bill the situation now?
Texas Subscriber
Answer: The Crosswalk includes that note because, in most situations, patients do not require anesthesia during injection procedures such as 62310 (Injection, single [not via indwelling catheter], not including neurolytic substances, with or without contrast [for either localization or epidurography], of diagnostic or therapeutic substance[s] [including anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution], epidural or subarachnoid; cervical or thoracic) or 64490 (Injection[s], diagnostic or therapeutic agent, paravertebral facet [zygapophyseal] joint [or nerves innervating that joint] with image guidance [fluoroscopy or CT], cervical or thoracic; single level). You shouldn't need to report both anesthesia and injection codes in most situations. If you have patients with severe phobias, anxiety, or behavioral issues, however, you can be justified in reporting both procedures. Document the condition and report both of your physicians' procedure codes.
Anesthesia Coding Alert
- Qualifying Circumstances:
Turn to +99140 for True Emergencies: Tips Help You Decide
Watch 3 areas before expecting 2 extra units for emergency reporting.Reporting any qualifying circumstances (QC) [...] - Documentation:
Do Your Providers Meet Signature Requirements on Their Charts?
Answers to 2 common questions help ensure you're on track.Including provider signatures is a basic [...] - Clip and Save:
Use This Handy Chart to Remember What Equals a Signature
Steer clear of stamps.Learning the ins and outs of what constitutes a compliant handwritten signature [...] - ICD-10:
Pain Management Coders, Prepare for More Acquired Spondylolysis Options
Catch-all code 738.4 to split into multiple diagnoses. ICD-10 Codes implementation in 2013 is coming [...] - Clarification:
Use 64448 for Postop Femoral Catheter, But Not 01996
Check into daily management codes for follow-ups.Thanks to a sharp-eyed subscriber who spotted an error [...] - Eye Procedures:
Check Provider's Role Before Coding Retrobulbar Blocks
The anesthesiologist's involvement points you in the right direction. Coding your anesthesia provider's service is [...] - You Be the Coder:
Modifier QZ Can Be Removed From Some Secondary Claims
Question: One of our secondary insurance carriers denies claims we submit with modifier QZ. If [...] - Reader Questions:
Verify New Insurance Before Appointment Time
Question: How should I file a claim on a pain clinic patient who has new [...] - Reader Questions:
Evoked Potentials Can Merit Modifier 22
Question: The physician performed motor evoked potentials during back surgery that our anesthesiologist reported with [...] - Reader Questions:
Consider Diagnosis When Deciding on Anesthesia With Injection
Question: When we have a team of anesthesiologists working together during injection procedures, Anesthesiologist A [...] - Reader Questions:
Payer Guidelines Dictate Multilevel Reporting
Question: When billing for multilevel radiofrequency, we report 64622 for the first level and +64623 [...] - Reader Questions:
Submit 20605 or 22899 Bertolotti Joint Injections
Question: Our pain management specialist performed a left medial branch block at the L5 vertebrae [...]
