Advanced Search

Revenue Cycle Insider

Anesthesia Coding:

Don’t Count on Billing Inactive Interval Time

Published on Fri Apr 25, 2025

You’ve reached your limit of free articles. Already a subscriber? Log in.

Not a subscriber? Subscribe today to continue reading this article. Plus, you’ll get:

Simple explanations of current healthcare regulations and payer programs
Real-world reporting scenarios solved by our expert coders
Industry news, such as MAC and RAC activities, the OIG Work Plan, and CERT reports
Instant access to every article ever published in Revenue Cycle Insider
6 annual AAPC-approved CEUs
The latest updates for CPT®, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS Level II, NCCI edits, modifiers, compliance, technology, practice management, and more

Other Articles of

April 2025

In Case You Missed It (RCI Bonus Content):
Know How to Code Surgical Teams Correctly
Know when to use the co-surgeon, assistant-at-surgery, and surgical team modifiers. Over the last few [...]

Otolaryngology Coding:
Take This Advice for Foolproof Rhinoplasty Claims
Let these 2 Medicare LCDs be your guides. If your otolaryngologist performs a rhinoplasty, you [...]

General Surgery Coding:
Test Your Knowledge of Colorectal Procedure Coding
Query the provider before choosing an unspecified code. It’s essential to thoroughly examine the medical [...]

Neurosurgery Coding:
Remember, Laminectomy Removes the Entire Lamina
Question: What is the difference between a laminectomy and a hemilaminectomy, and which CPT® codes [...]

Neurosurgery Coding:
Use This Code for Brain Abscess
Question: Encounter notes indicate that a patient suffers from “embolic abscess, parietal lobe.” What is [...]

Neurosurgery Coding:
Stay on Coding Cutting Edge With SRS, Neuroendoscopy Smarts
See how these techniques have changed neurosurgery. Over the years, we have witnessed remarkable innovations [...]

ICD-10-CM Coding:
Follow These Principles for Coding the Principal Diagnosis
Hint: Use coding conventions as your North Star. While selecting a principal diagnosis sounds easy [...]

Compliance:
Stay Out of Hot Water by Disposing of PHI Properly
Training seasonal and permanent staff will avoid an audit. As summer approaches, many practices are [...]

Gastroenterology Coding:
Refresh Your Knowledge of Gallstone Codes
Do you know the appropriate diagnosis codes for gallstones and related procedures? While many patients [...]

Podiatry Coding:
Examine 5 Common Pediatric Podiatry Conditions
Find out what condition feels like stepping on a pebble. Between sports, playing, and growing, [...]

Cardiology Coding:
Differentiate These New ASCVD Codes
Question: What’s the difference between codes G0537 and G0538? I think they became billable in [...]

Emergency Department Coding:
Pull Correct FBR Claims Each Time With This Advice
Do you know when an ED E/M becomes an FBR? It’s spring again, which means [...]

General Coding:
Look to Status to Determine POS
Question: One of our providers is a surgeon who sometimes gets called to the hospital [...]

Medicare Regulations:
Look for These Forms for Credentialing Adjustments
Question: I need to make an adjustment to the credentialing information for one of my [...]

General Coding:
Navigate New Era of Coding With This Foundation
Hint: Documentation may matter more than ever. While the future of coding may seem scary [...]

Neurology & Pain Management Coding:
Lean on Add-On Code for Multiple RFAs
Question: Encounter notes indicate that the pain management (PM) specialist performed radiofrequency ablation (RFA) on [...]

Cardiology Coding:
Understand These Differences in Wearable Cardiovascular Devices
Hint: Some devices record continuously, but some need to be activated. Patients who may have [...]

Urology Coding:
Query the Provider to Avoid Uroflowmetry Confusion
Question: A uroflowmetry test was conducted in our clinic and the urologist noted, “lower urinary [...]

Neurology & Pain Management Coding:
Master Brain Anatomy, Symptoms for Simpler Stroke Dx Coding
Do you know how to score a stroke? “A stroke is an interruption of the [...]

Neurology & Pain Management Coding:
Look for Dominant Element When Choosing ADHD Dx
Question: Encounter notes indicate that the patient suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); the [...]

General Coding:
Use PA-Specific Modifier to Report Their Services
Question: A physician assistant (PA) assisted one of our surgeons during a surgery. The provider [...]

Anesthesia Coding:
Don’t Count on Billing Inactive Interval Time
Question: A patient had surgery for cataract extraction and required monitored anesthesia care via a [...]

Medicare Regulations:
Find Clarity on Global Surgery Inclusion
Question: A patient who’s a Medicare beneficiary had surgery. They were in a lot of [...]

Compliance:
Sharing Credentials May Mean Breaking the Law
Question: We recently signed on a new physician at our practice and they’re only contracted [...]

Podiatry Coding:
Evaluate This EDL Tendon Transfer Case
Question: I am new to podiatry coding and need help reporting this procedure. The surgeon [...]

E/M Coding:
Understand What Services Are Included in Debridement Procedure
Question: A patient comes in for a wound debridement appointment every week. According to their [...]

Podiatry Coding:
Find Out if Osteotomies Are Included in a Subtalar Joint Fusion
Question: The podiatrist performed a subtalar joint fusion with rigid internal fixation, a medial calcaneal [...]

Practice Management:
Find Relief for Challenging Patient Situations
Modulating your own body language and tone can go a long way in de-escalating tension. [...]

Urology Coding:
Break Through These FAQs of Kidney Stone Coding
Lasering in on the location can help you choose the correct code. Coding for stones [...]

Gastroenterology Coding:
Learn How to Code High-Risk Screening Colonoscopies
Question: We had a Medicare patient come in for a colorectal cancer screening. What constitutes [...]

Oncology/Hematology Coding:
Get to the Point With This GIST Coding Guidance
Question: What is a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), and how is it coded? New Jersey [...]

Oncology/Hematology Coding:
Understand TNM Staging to Improve Dx Specificity
Let provider ocumentation guide you to the correct number of codes. As an oncology coder, [...]

Cardiology Coding:
Know What to Report for This Pacemaker Procedure
Question: What’s the best code to report a procedure involving a right ventricular permanent leadless [...]

Gastroenterology Coding:
Pinpoint the Correct Pancolitis Ulcerative Colitis Code
Question: I have a colonoscopy report where the physician describes the findings as: “Pancolitis ulcerative [...]

General Surgery Coding:
Identify Site for Hernia Repair With Gallbladder Removal
Question: The surgeon performed a laparoscopic gallbladder removal for a 42-year-old patient. During the same session, [...]

Orthopedic Coding:
Pick the Right Code for Your Pre-Auth Request
Question: I’m seeking a pre-authorization for a surgical procedure, and I need help finding the [...]

Orthopedic Coding:
Learn When to Report an OR Return Separately
Question: An orthopedic surgeon performed an open fracture treatment of the femoral shaft without placing [...]

Compliance:
Signatures Are Key to Proving Validity
Question: I was told that providers had to sign off on the encounters before creating/submitting [...]

Optometry/Ophthalmology Coding:
Crack the Code on This Damaged IOL Insertion Case
Question: I have a surgical report in which the surgeon performed cataract surgery. The surgeon [...]

Path/Lab Coding:
Understand These 2 LCDs Before Coding This Respiratory Pathogen Panel
Question: What is the correct way to bill for COVID, influenza A and B, and [...]

Primary Care Coding:
Perfect Your Coding When Physicians See Patients in Nursing Homes, Hospice
Plus: Nail down the right SNF visit codes. When your primary care provider sees patients [...]

Primary Care Coding:
Some Specificity Needed for Alcohol Use Reporting
Question: My practitioner recently documented “occasional alcohol use” in the social history section of a patient’s [...]

Primary Care Coding:
Use the Index to Correctly Code This Ataxia With Stroke Case
Question: During a patient’s annual wellness exam, my provider documented “ataxia with history of stroke.” [...]

Optometry/Ophthalmology Coding:
Identify the Code for Eyelid Retraction Injections
Question: A patient presented with complaints of chronic bilateral upper lid cicatricial retraction with lagophthalmos. [...]

E/M Coding:
Use These Strategies to Educate Providers, Part 1
Feel confident that you have knowledge to offer. Coders may have nightmares about the awkwardness [...]

Emergency Department Coding:
Check for Guidance Before Reporting Elbow Injection
Question: A 42-year-old patient presented to the emergency department (ED) with left elbow pain and swelling [...]

Emergency Department Coding:
Constant Worry Could Be Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Question: If a patient has a diagnosis of “overanxious disorder,” what is the appropriate ICD-10-CM [...]

Pulmonology Coding:
Build Your Pulmonary Hypertension Coding Knowledge
Learn what separates the pulmonary hypertension codes. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be defined as high [...]

Technology & Innovation:
Provide In-Home Pediatric Hospital Care
Question: Many families have asked about at-home hospital services for their young children. We have [...]

Diagnostic Radiology Coding:
Risks Are Too High to Gamble With Radiology Revenue
With radiology claims under tighter OIG scrutiny, compliance is always your safest bet. Radiology has [...]

Diagnostic Radiology Coding:
Solve This Sinus Tract Coding Question
Question: A patient presented to a radiology practice with complaints of chronic sinusitis. The patient’s [...]

Medicare Regulations :
Attention: Medicare Patient Appeal Changes Are Here!
Select inpatient to observation patient status changes can be scrutinized now, and even as far [...]

Practice Management:
Try This Networking Tip to Boost Referrals
Question: I work for a specialty practice, and our providers are hoping to boost their [...]

Pediatric Coding:
Know the Dos and Don’ts of Type 1 Diabetes Coding
Make sure you add these 2025 ICD-10 code updates to your list. There’s a lot [...]

Ob-Gyn Coding:
Knot in the Umbilical Cord: Do You Know What to Do?
Question: We had a patient come in with a knot in the umbilical cord. We [...]

Pulmonology Coding:
Are Patients New or Established When a Provider Changes Practices?
Question: I code for a pulmonologist who recently made the move from a private clinic [...]

Oncology Coding:
Find the Key to This Immunotherapy Encounter
Question: What is the correct primary diagnosis code for Keytruda? Should I use Z51.11 or Z51.12? Also, [...]

Technology & Innovation:
Use Health Data Statistics to Drive Decisions in Healthcare
Learn how margin of error and CIs affect the interpretation of results. From patient admission [...]

Otolaryngology Coding:
Avoid Integumentary Code for This Ear Lesion Removal
Question: Our otolaryngologist excised an ear canal lesion from a patient’s left ear. The op [...]

Technology & Innovation:
Coordinate With Chatbots to Improve Patient Happiness
Question: Like many healthcare practices, there are times when we see more patients than usual, [...]

Pulmonology Coding:
Report Noninvasive Oxygenation Assessments With a Category III Code
Question: I have a procedure report that lists the service performed as “noninvasive assessment of [...]

Diagnostic Radiology Coding:
Can You Report Phone Calls to Discuss Test Results?
Question: A patient presented for a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan of their axial skeleton. [...]

Otolaryngology Coding:
Understand the Difference Between Caloric Vestibular Tests
Question: In a recent note on a patient who came in for vestibular testing following [...]

Path/Lab Coding:
Stay on Top of April Updates for Path/Lab MUEs, Fees, and ICD-10-CM
Plus, see what’s in store for PLA changes in July. The second quarter of 2025 [...]

Urology Coding:
Purpose of the PSA Test Will Determine Proper Coding
Question: An elderly patient was complaining of frequent urination during their annual exam. They also mentioned [...]

Pediatric Coding:
Remember This Nosebleed Treatment Coding Tip
Question: A patient presented bleeding from both nostrils and received treatment. Are nosebleed treatment codes [...]

Practice Management:
Shout About Language Facility
Question: Some of our providers are bilingual or multilingual. How can I let patients and [...]

E/M Coding:
Don’t Count on Reimbursement for Nonphysician EMR Adjustments
Question: If a clinical staff member or scribe makes entries into a patient’s medical record, [...]

ICD-10-CM Coding:
Understand ‘Unspecified Behavior’ Traits for Neoplasm Diagnosis
Question: A patient’s medical record says they have cancer of the neck, but the pathologist’s [...]

Anesthesia Coding:
Bust These Reimbursement Myths
Find clarity on how teaching anesthesiologists should be paid. Whoever said knowledge is power perhaps [...]

Ob-Gyn Coding:
How to Code a Lesion Incision and Removal
Question: I'm struggling with how to code this procedure: From the op note: 2x1 cm [...]

General Surgery Coding:
Purpose of Fat Transfer Determines Proper Code Choice
Question: Our general surgeon performed a revision of a reconstructed breast. The surgeon used a [...]

Pediatric Coding:
Follow These Steps for Coding Cellulitis Encounter
Question: An established 8-year-old patient presents with a slight fever and a red, blistered area [...]

Optometry/Ophthalmology Coding:
Thrive Under Pressure While Coding Glaucoma Treatments — Part 2
Find out if traditional or MIGS surgeries are more common. In the first part of [...]

Anesthesia Coding:
Account for ‘Time’ Based on These Moments
Question: How do I know when to start “counting” for time for anesthesia services? Florida [...]

ICD-10-CM Coding:
Take Heed of Patient’s Fancies
Question: A patient arrived at our emergency department (ED) presenting with pain while breathing, a dry [...]

Orthopedic Coding:
Unravel the Complexities of Coding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome — Part 2
Remember the ICD-10-CM 5th character specifies laterality. Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) occurs when the tunnel [...]

Ob-Gyn Coding:
True or False: Adhesiolysis Can Be Separately Reimbursed — Find Out
The key term is “extensive.” Some medical coders think lysis of adhesions codes are impossible [...]

Path/Lab Coding:
Go the Distance, Understand Specimen Collection Travel Allowance Codes
Question: We are a primary care practice with a traveling phlebotomist and our own lab, [...]

View All