Anesthesia Coding Alert
Bill by the Anesthesiologist Spending the Longest Amount of Time
Question: Two of our anesthesiologists were involved in a surgical procedure. The first anesthesiologist spent 15 minutes with the patient. The second anesthesiologist anesthetist took over after the first anesthesiologist left for another case. He spent 45 minutes with the patient. How do we bill when two anesthesiologists are involved with a single procedure?
Virginia Subscriber
Answer: In this kind of situation, you should code for the anesthesiologist who spent more time with the patient and completed the procedure (which for this case is the second anesthesiologist). However, remember the claim should account for the total amount of time of the procedure, not just the billing anesthesiologist’s time.
The operative note should document the amount of time each anesthesiologist spent with the patient. For your scenario, submit the claim for the second anesthesiologist as 60 minutes.
Exception: The rules change when you bill for anesthesia in a teaching facility. You’ll file those claims by the physician who starts the case.
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