Anesthesia Coding Alert

Supporting medical necessity and checking policies help clear the way. If your anesthesiologist provides care during endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures, you don't have many codes to memorize. Paying attention to those choices and the best supporting diagnoses, however, will help smooth your gastro claims every time. Start With the Correct Crosswalk ChoicesCPT® divides anesthesia codes for endoscopic gastrointestinal procedures by "upper" and "lower." Your three primary choices are: 00740 -- Anesthesia for upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, endoscope introduced proximal to duodenum (for EGD, or esophagogastroduodenoscopy) 00790 -- Anesthesia for intraperitoneal procedures in upper abdomen including laparoscopy; not otherwise specified (for laparoscopy) 00810 -- Anesthesia for lower intestinal endoscopic procedures, endoscope introduced distal to duodenum (for colonoscopy). "We bill MAC anesthesia on our upper endoscopies and colonoscopies," says Kristie Brown, account specialist with Gastroenterology Associates of Pensacola in Florida. "There are only two anesthesia codes that we bill out for: 00740 and 00810." Modify it: [...]