Anesthesia Coding Alert

Question: An anesthesia professional performs 01967 for a single anesthetic administration. The same anesthesia professional subsequently performs 00851 during a separate operative session with a single anesthetic administration on the same date of service for the same patient. How should the anesthesia services be reported?

Minnesota Subscriber

Answer: In this case, you should report 01967 (Neuraxial labor analgesia/anesthesia for planned vaginal delivery) with the appropriate anesthesia modifier and time along with 00851 (Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in lower abdomen including laparoscopy; tubal ligation/transection) with the appropriate anesthesia modifier and time.

In addition, you should append modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service), 76 (Repeat procedure or service by same physician or other qualified health care professional), 77 (Repeat procedure by another physician or other qualified health care professional), 78 (Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician or other qualified health care professional following initial procedure for a related procedure during the postoperative period), 79 (Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician or other qualified health care professional during the postoperative period), or XE (Separate Encounter) as appropriate to the 00851 to indicate the anesthesia service was separate and subsequent to the original anesthesia service reported with 01967, according to UnitedHealthcare’s policy on anesthesia.