We are new to moderate sedation coding and are trying to figure out if we can bill for sedation when the case is shorter than 30 minutes since the procedure code reads "First 30 Minutes". We also need to know if we can bill for less than 15 minutes additionally. We bill general anesthesia based on 1-15 minute increments, but did not know if this also applied to moderate sedation. If anyone has or can point me in the direction of proper guidelines, I would really appreciate the information.
Rhonda Crosse, CPC