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Anesthesia Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Know When to Bill Multiple A-Lines

Published on Wed Mar 22, 2006

Question: Can we bill for two arterial (A-line) insertions during the same surgery?


Texas Subscriber


Answer: Physicians rarely need to place multiple A-lines, but it can happen (for example, if the first A-line stops working or is accidentally pulled out). If your documentation shows that the physician inserts separate A-lines in two different places, you can bill the A-line twice. Report 36620 (Arterial catheterization or cannulation for sampling, monitoring or transfusion [separate procedure]; percutaneous) or 36625 (... cutdown), as appropriate, for each line.

Before reporting multiple A-lines, be sure the documentation supports two different sites. Be prepared to submit documentation with the claim to show the different anatomical sites.
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