Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: How should I code for anesthesia during a procedure that spans two days of service? The surgery began at 11:30 p.m. and ended at 1 a.m.

Louisiana Subscriber

Answer: If your computer can report "through" times, you can report both the start and end dates with a single entry by documenting that the procedure went past midnight. For example, if the procedure began on March 13 and ended on March 14, report the anesthesia time as 03/13/03, 2350 hours-0100, 03/14/03. Most computer programs allow you to do this. If yours doesn't, bill the entry by hand. Remember that some carriers cannot compute multiple dates of service, so be prepared with documentation in case you need to appeal.

Many carriers (such as Medicare) want only the time spent with the patient, not the days, so crossing over days shouldn't be a problem. Bill from the time anesthesia began, and use military times such as those noted above to help indicate the crossover. New Year's Eve is the only time when this might be a problem, because you're crossing years instead of only days. In that case, submit separate claims for each date of service.