Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: What procedure code should I report for intubation EUA (examination under anesthesia)? The associated diagnoses are dyspnea and upper airway obstruction.

Connecticut Subscriber

Answer: Your question is difficult to answer without more information. Here are two possibilities, depending on the specifics of the case.

If the anesthesiologist intubated a patient with no anesthesia services, you should report 31500 (Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure). This usually happens in an emergency situation when patients cannot breathe on their own.

If the anesthesiologist provided anesthesia while the surgeon did an examination under anesthesia, intubation is included in the anesthesia service (reported anatomically by area of examination) and intubation is not billed separately.