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Anesthesia Coding Alert

Reader Questions:

Consider Diagnosis When Deciding on Anesthesia With Injection

Published on Wed Feb 02, 2011

Question: When we have a team of anesthesiologists working together during injection procedures, Anesthesiologist A usually bills 01991, 01992, and/or 01935 for administering anesthesia while Anesthesiologist B performs the surgical service/injection. Anesthesiologist B reports 62310, 62311, and/or 64490 as appropriate. The new Crosswalk states, "Anesthesia not typically required" for these services. How do we bill the situation now? Texas Subscriber Answer: The Crosswalk includes that note because, in most situations, patients do not require anesthesia during injection procedures such as 62310 (Injection, single [not via indwelling catheter], not including neurolytic substances, with or without contrast [for either localization or epidurography], of diagnostic or therapeutic substance[s] [including anesthetic, antispasmodic, opioid, steroid, other solution], epidural or subarachnoid; cervical or thoracic) or 64490 (Injection[s], diagnostic or therapeutic agent, paravertebral facet [zygapophyseal] joint [or nerves innervating that joint] with image guidance [fluoroscopy or CT], cervical or thoracic; single level). You shouldn't need to report [...]
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