Anesthesia Coding Alert

Although coding resources abound, anesthesia coding tools sometimes seem scarce. In addition to purchasing CPT, HCPCS and ICD-9 manuals annually, Emma LeGrand, CCS, coding supervisor with North Jersey Anesthesia Associates, P.C., in Florham Park, and Robin Fuqua, CPIC, anesthesia coder for Anesthesia Consultants of California in Escondido, recommend the following resources for anesthesia professionals:
 
Note: Purchasing information is included at the end of each entry. Most resources are also available at local bookstores except the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) publications.
Coding-Specific References
ASA Crosswalk. Verify base units and corresponding anesthesia codes for procedures with the Crosswalk. Use it to identify procedures where anesthesia is unwarranted and ASA codes that CPT omits. For a copy, contact the ASA
at 847-825-5586.
 
Codelink for Anesthesiology. Codelink offers common ICD-9 for CPT codes, which is helpful when you can't find a diagnosis in the ICD-9 manual. Check a physician's diagnosis with Codelink. If the diagnosis is unlisted, consult the physician for a more accurate one. Purchase online at www.amazon.com.
 
Diagnostic Coding Essentials. This guide breaks down ICD-9 codes numerically with thorough explanations including the exact location affected and whether a diagnostic code is gender-specific. It also breaks out the M codes for pathology and gives diagrams when appropriate. For example, a patient's diagnosis may be "malignant lesion, left breast, right upper-outer quadrant." The coder assigns 174.4 (malignant neoplasm of female breast, upper-outer quadrant). After further checking, the coder sees that the patient is a male, so the gender-specific code 175.9 (malignant neoplasm of male breast, other and unspecified sites of male breast) is the appropriate diagnosis. Buy from www.sunrize.com/icdessentials.html.
 
Modifiers Made Easy. This comprehensive resource for CPT and HCPCS modifiers gives coding tips and scenarios on how to use modifiers. The book is organized by specialty rather than by modifier. Visit www.hcfa-1500-forms.com/coding-books/modifiers-easy.html to purchase a copy.
 
ASA's Relative Value Guide (RVG). The ASA's Relative Value Guide, published each spring, contains ASA changes and reimbursement values. Call 847-825-5586.
Medical References
Medical dictionaries and anatomy guides can be valuable tools for the coding professional. Some of LeGrand's and Fuqua's favorites include:
 
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary. Descriptive definitions and references such as lab values, anatomy information and drug interactions make this an invaluable tool. Many physicians use their own descriptions or comments on lab values. Taber's can confirm whether a lab test is outside normal limits. Dorland's and Stedman's medical dictionaries also receive high marks.
 
Gray's Anatomy. Use this resource when you can't match a doctor's diagnosis with CPT or ICD-9 wording. Gray's Anatomy can explain that a physician's note "neuritis of the fifth cranial nerve" relates to the trigeminal nerve.
 
Physician's Desk Reference. The PDR offers descriptions of analgesic agents. Some new [...]