Gastroenterology Coding Alert

Question: When I coded 00810 for anesthesia service during an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), my claim got denied. The physician's note said the request was due to the patient's symptoms, but no other details were provided. What did I do wrong?South Carolina SubscriberAnswer: For one, you could look into your coding for the patient's condition. Your diagnosis code should indicate the coexisting medical condition that justifies an anesthesiologist's involvement in the case, not the gastrointestinal condition leading to the endoscopy.You could verify with the anesthesiologist if the patient had any of the following condition:a) history of or anticipated intolerance to standard sedatives; or b) Increased risk for complication due to severe comorbidity (American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] class III physical status or greater. See Appendix for physical status classifications which can be found in the CPT manual.)c) Patient of extreme age, under one year or over 70; ord) Pregnancy; ore) History of [...]