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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Documentation:

Ask These 3 Questions Before Coding Post-Op Pain Management

Published on Tue Mar 13, 2012

Post-op add-on success hinges on documenting separate service. When your anesthesiologist provides (and oversees) a patient's postoperative pain management, you might be able to garner extra pay. Check details such as documentation of the request and line placement times to confirm whether you should file a separate claim. 1. Do You Have a Surgeon's Request? Standard post-op pain management falls under the surgeon's scope of responsibility, according to the Correct Coding Initiative (CCI). If the surgeon believes additional or more involved pain management will be necessary, he can request assistance from an anesthesiologist. "As with any medical service provided to a patient, the need for an anesthesiologist to provide post-op pain management is determined on a case-by-case basis," says Kelly Dennis, MBA, ACS-AN, CAN-PC, CHCA, CPC, CPC-I, owner of Perfect Office Solutions in Leesburg, Fl. "Look for a note or comment on a separate form or in an area of [...]
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