Month: June 2010

Use of Anesthesia Services for Routine Gastrointestinal Endoscopy

by Niels
Use of Anesthesia Services for Routine Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Key Points: Sedation-related risk factors, the depth of sedation, and the urgency of the endoscopic procedure all play important roles in determining whether the assistance of anesthesia personnel is needed. Sedation related risk factors include significant medical conditions such as extremes of age, severe pulmonary, neurological, cardiac, ... Read More

PQRI for Anesthesia

by Niels
PQRI for Anesthesia There are some important changes to the two PQRI measures reported with anesthesiology services: 1. Measure #30, Timing of Prophylactic Antibiotic-Administering Physician  There will be a major change to the denominator reporting of Measure #30.  In 2007 and 2008, physicians could report antibiotic prophylaxis in every anesthesia case on a patient aged ... Read More

How to use anesthesia for Routine Gastrointestinal Endoscopy – Guidelines

by Niels
Use of Anesthesia Services for Routine Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Policy: The use of anesthesia services to provide sedation and analgesia for patients for routine gastrointestinal endoscopy procedures does not meet Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s medical criteria for coverage except for the following: • Patients with potential for difficult intubation and/or ventilation with a ... Read More

EMPIRE MEDICARE’S POLICY FOR ANESTHESIA AND GASTORINESTINAL ENDOSCOPY

by Niels
EMPIRE MEDICARE’S POLICY FOR ANESTHESIA AND GASTORINESTINAL ENDOSCOPY Patients undergoing gastrointestinal endoscopy receive medications for anxiety, discomfort and anesthesia, as well as monitoring during the procedure.CPT Codes00740       Anesthesia for upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures00810       Anesthesia for intestinal endoscopic proceduresHCFA’s National PolicyAnesthesia by the performing surgeon is not separately reimbursable to the surgeon.Indications ... Read More

EMPIRE MEDICARE’S covered diagnosis for anesthesia

by Niels
 EMPIRE MEDICARE’S POLICY FOR ANESTHESIA AND GASTORINESTINAL ENDOSCOPY ICD-9 CM Diagnosis Codes that Support Medical Necessity It is not enough to link the procedure code to a correct, payable ICD-9-CM diagnosis code. The diagnosis or clinical suspicion must be present for the procedure to be paid. Below are diagnosis codes that support medical necessity. ICD-9 ... Read More

ANESTHESIA TYPES

by Niels
Types of Anesthesia General Anesthesia The administration of anesthesia agents to achieve a state of unconsciousness to produce the absence of pain sensation over the entire body. This can be administered by inhalation, intravenously, intramuscularly, rectally, or via the gastrointestinal tract. Basically general anesthesia is a drug induced loss of consciousness during which patients are ... Read More

Anesthesia CPT – 00740, 00810 – gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures

by Niels
Coding: CPT Codes: 00740 Anesthesia for upper gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures, endoscope introduced proximal to duodenum 00810 Anesthesia for lower intestinal endoscopic procedures, endoscope introduced distal to duodenum. Use of Anesthesia Services for Routine Gastrointestinal Endoscopy As a general rule, benefits are payable under Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama health plans only in cases ... Read More

Modifiers – Anesthesia Related to CRNAs, AAs, Locum Tenens

by Niels
Modifiers – Anesthesia Related to CRNAs, AAs,  Locum Tenens  Medical direction is defined as the medical involvement of an Anesthesiologist or a qualified anesthetist (CRNA), anesthesia assistant (AA), in one, two, three or four concurrent procedures where the Anesthesiologist is physically present. Medicare requires the utilization of CRNAs and AA to be indicated with the ... Read More

Anesthesia Billing for Obstetrics

by Niels
Anesthesia Billing for Obstetrics  In many cases the Anesthesiologist or the CRNA places the epidural and leaves the patients side once dosage has been tested, checking back only periodically throughout labor progression. Different anesthesia groups document this in varying forms. Due to widespread variances in the fee calculation of these services, tracking payment trends accurately ... Read More

what is base unit and time unit.

by Niels
Base Units Each anesthesia code (procedure codes 00100-01999) is assigned a base unit value by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and used for the purpose of establishing fee schedule allowances. Anesthesia services are paid on the basis of a relative value system, which include both base and actual time units. Base units take into ... Read More