Wiki Anesthesia for Knee repair with nerve block for post op pain management

[mbdk1977]

I was looking for some information regarding the use of nerve blocks for post operative pain management. If a patient comes in for a arthroscopicall aided anterior cruciate ligament repair/augmentation or reconstruction (29888 - anesthesia code 01400) and after the surgical procedure is completed but before the patient leaves the OR the patient is given a nerve block of the femoral nerve (64447), would you bill the nerve block. I see that with the the anesthesia code 01400 and nerve block code 64447 that there is a CCI bundling edit. Would the nerve block be considered included in the anesthesia?

 

[rkmcoder]

(These are my opinions and should not be construed as being the final authority. Other opinions may vary.)

We bill for ASCs and here is what we do: If the same doctor does the procedure and the block, then the block is not billable. If another doctor does the block, then bill the block with modifier -59 and the appropriate location modifier (-LT or -RT). Use diagnosis code 338.18 (acute post-op pain).

Richard Mann, your pain management coder
rkmcoder@yahoo.com