Coding Block 2/Anesthesia UPDATED
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Anesthesia - CORRECT ANSWER - loss of the ability to feel pain, with or without the
loss of consciousness, induced by the administration of a drug or other medical intervention.
An anesthesiologist, anesthetist, or other physician uses the codes in the anesthesia section to
report the administration of anesthesia services. Only the physician who administers the
anesthesia can report the codes in this section. Anesthesia services are usually performed during
surgery. The types of anesthesia include general, regional, and local. - CORRECT
ANSWER -
The practice of anesthesiology is not limited to the administration of anesthesia. The American
Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) defines the practice of anesthesiology as follows: -
CORRECT ANSWER - The management of procedures for rendering a patient insensible
to pain and emotional stress during surgical, obstetrical, and certain medical procedures.
The evaluation of management of life functions under the stress of anesthetic and surgical
manipulations.
The clinical management of the patient unconscious from whatever cause.
The evaluation and management of problems in pain relief.
The management of problems in cardiac and respiratory resuscitation.
The application of specific methods of respiratory therapy.
The clinical management of various fluid, electrolyte, and metabolic disturbances.*
Included services - CORRECT ANSWER - Preoperative and postoperative visits by the
anesthesiologist, anesthesia care during the procedure (e.g., general, regional, and local
anesthesia), and the administration of fluids and/or blood and the usual monitoring services (e.g.,
ECG, temperature, blood pressure, oximetry) are all bundled into the anesthesia code. No
additional codes are necessary to describe these services.
, Excluded services - CORRECT ANSWER - Unusual forms of monitoring (e.g., intra-
arterial, central venous, and Swan-Ganz) are reported with the use of additional codes.
Moderate (conscious) sedation - CORRECT ANSWER - The codes 99143-99145 are
reported when a physician provides both the moderate conscious sedation and the procedure.
However, if the moderate conscious sedation is included in the procedure, these codes may not
be reported separately. (See Appendix G of the CPT® codebook.) In fact, don't just see Appendix
G, read the details under Appendix G.
When a second physician provides the moderate conscious sedation in a facility setting, then the
second physician may report the codes 99148-99150. However, when services are provided by
the second physician in a non-facility setting, these codes are not reported.
Modifier 47 - CORRECT ANSWER - When the physician administers regional or general
anesthesia and performs the surgery, the modifier 47 (anesthesia by surgeon) is appended to the
appropriate procedure code. Modifier 47 is added to the surgical code, not the anesthesia code.
You may remember this from your study of Modifiers back a few units.
Time Reporting - CORRECT ANSWER - Anesthesia services are reimbursed based in part
on the amount of minutes and hours the anesthesia is administered. The reporting of time for
anesthesia services varies by geographic location. The amount of time spent administering
anesthesia is an important part of the reimbursement of anesthesia services. This will be
discussed in detail in an upcoming lesson. Anesthesia time is usually documented as part of the
operative procedure.
Physician's Services - CORRECT ANSWER - Physician's Services is a reminder to the
coder to use E/M codes when appropriate and use anesthesia codes when appropriate. Just
because an anesthesiologist is providing the service does not mean the report is assigned an
anesthesia code. If the service provided by the anesthesiologist is not administering anesthesia or
under the umbrella of administering anesthesia (pre-/post-operative visits, administration of
anesthesia, anesthesia care during procedure, administration of fluids, etc.), then an E/M code
would be the appropriate code and not an anesthesia code.
Materials Supplied by Physician - CORRECT ANSWER - Materials supplied by the
physician works the same for coding and billing anesthesia services as for coding and billing
other physician services. If an anesthesiologist uses materials and supplies provided by the
ACTUAL Questions and CORRECT
Answers
Anesthesia - CORRECT ANSWER - loss of the ability to feel pain, with or without the
loss of consciousness, induced by the administration of a drug or other medical intervention.
An anesthesiologist, anesthetist, or other physician uses the codes in the anesthesia section to
report the administration of anesthesia services. Only the physician who administers the
anesthesia can report the codes in this section. Anesthesia services are usually performed during
surgery. The types of anesthesia include general, regional, and local. - CORRECT
ANSWER -
The practice of anesthesiology is not limited to the administration of anesthesia. The American
Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) defines the practice of anesthesiology as follows: -
CORRECT ANSWER - The management of procedures for rendering a patient insensible
to pain and emotional stress during surgical, obstetrical, and certain medical procedures.
The evaluation of management of life functions under the stress of anesthetic and surgical
manipulations.
The clinical management of the patient unconscious from whatever cause.
The evaluation and management of problems in pain relief.
The management of problems in cardiac and respiratory resuscitation.
The application of specific methods of respiratory therapy.
The clinical management of various fluid, electrolyte, and metabolic disturbances.*
Included services - CORRECT ANSWER - Preoperative and postoperative visits by the
anesthesiologist, anesthesia care during the procedure (e.g., general, regional, and local
anesthesia), and the administration of fluids and/or blood and the usual monitoring services (e.g.,
ECG, temperature, blood pressure, oximetry) are all bundled into the anesthesia code. No
additional codes are necessary to describe these services.
, Excluded services - CORRECT ANSWER - Unusual forms of monitoring (e.g., intra-
arterial, central venous, and Swan-Ganz) are reported with the use of additional codes.
Moderate (conscious) sedation - CORRECT ANSWER - The codes 99143-99145 are
reported when a physician provides both the moderate conscious sedation and the procedure.
However, if the moderate conscious sedation is included in the procedure, these codes may not
be reported separately. (See Appendix G of the CPT® codebook.) In fact, don't just see Appendix
G, read the details under Appendix G.
When a second physician provides the moderate conscious sedation in a facility setting, then the
second physician may report the codes 99148-99150. However, when services are provided by
the second physician in a non-facility setting, these codes are not reported.
Modifier 47 - CORRECT ANSWER - When the physician administers regional or general
anesthesia and performs the surgery, the modifier 47 (anesthesia by surgeon) is appended to the
appropriate procedure code. Modifier 47 is added to the surgical code, not the anesthesia code.
You may remember this from your study of Modifiers back a few units.
Time Reporting - CORRECT ANSWER - Anesthesia services are reimbursed based in part
on the amount of minutes and hours the anesthesia is administered. The reporting of time for
anesthesia services varies by geographic location. The amount of time spent administering
anesthesia is an important part of the reimbursement of anesthesia services. This will be
discussed in detail in an upcoming lesson. Anesthesia time is usually documented as part of the
operative procedure.
Physician's Services - CORRECT ANSWER - Physician's Services is a reminder to the
coder to use E/M codes when appropriate and use anesthesia codes when appropriate. Just
because an anesthesiologist is providing the service does not mean the report is assigned an
anesthesia code. If the service provided by the anesthesiologist is not administering anesthesia or
under the umbrella of administering anesthesia (pre-/post-operative visits, administration of
anesthesia, anesthesia care during procedure, administration of fluids, etc.), then an E/M code
would be the appropriate code and not an anesthesia code.
Materials Supplied by Physician - CORRECT ANSWER - Materials supplied by the
physician works the same for coding and billing anesthesia services as for coding and billing
other physician services. If an anesthesiologist uses materials and supplies provided by the
