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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Pick Higher-Base Code for Multiple Procedures

Published on Tue Apr 12, 2005

Question: Our physician provided anesthesia during a procedure that included 52332 and 74420. Why did our coder assign 01922 instead of 00910 for the case?


Tennessee Subscriber


Answer: The anesthesia code for the cystourethro-scopy (52332) is 00910 (Anesthesia for transurethral procedures [including urethrocystoscopy]; not otherwise specified). The anesthesia code for the radiology procedure (74420, Urography, retrograde, with or without KUB) is 01922 (Anesthesia for noninvasive imaging or radiation therapy). As long as the radiology procedure is noninvasive, you should choose the higher-base procedure from an anesthesia standpoint. Because 00910 is worth 3 base units and 01922 is worth 7, you report 01922 for the case.
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