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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Clarification:

Use 64448 for Postop Femoral Catheter, But Not 01996

Published on Wed Feb 02, 2011

Check into daily management codes for follow-ups.Thanks to a sharp-eyed subscriber who spotted an error in one of our reader questions in the January issue (ACA Vol. 13 N. A, page 6). Following is the original question with the corrected answer regarding codes 64448 and 01996.Postop Catheter Coding Allowed When SeparateQuestion: Our provider used monitored anesthesia care (MAC) for the primary mode of anesthesia during a procedure. He also inserted a femoral nerve continuous catheter and documented that the catheter was for postoperative pain relief. Can we bill separately for the continuous catheter? Florida SubscriberAnswer: Yes, you can report the continuous catheter under one stipulation. Your provider must adequately document that the continuous catheter would be used for postoperative management and was not used for the mode of anesthesia during the procedure.Report the catheter placement with 64448 (Injection, anesthetic agent; femoral nerve, continuous infusion by catheter [including catheter placement]). The [...]
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