Anesthesia Coding Alert
Know When To Turn To Modifier 53
Question: We have a case where the procedure was canceled due to the results of electrocardiography (EKG) after about 20 minutes of anesthesia time — induction did occur. Do we report the anesthesia case with a 53 modifier, or do we report a visit code? Florida Subscriber Answer: You would report the procedure as usual, as well as the documented anesthesia time. The surgeon might be tempted to use modifier 53 (Discontinued procedure) to report that their service was discontinued, however, when anesthesia is canceled after induction, it is not necessary to report modifier 53. Because the patient was induced, they will need to emerge from anesthesia, so there is no cancellation of anesthesia services. If the case was canceled prior to induction, you may use the pre-anesthesia evaluation to report an evaluation and management (E/M) service.
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