by Raquel Shumway
Dec 28th, 2017
Anesthesia services fall into one of the following categories ranging from lowest to greatest:
- Local or topical anesthesia (not covered here)
- Moderate (conscious) sedation (See “Moderate Sedation” on page xx)
- Regional anesthesia
- General anesthesia
Anesthesia is the administration of a drug or gas to induce partial or complete loss of consciousness. General anesthesia may only be provided by an anesthesiologist, Qualified Nonphysician Anesthetist or an Anesthesia Assistant (AA) and is billed separately from the surgical procedure.
Tips:
- If the surgery is non-covered, the anesthesia services will also be non-covered.
- Blood gas monitoring performed as part of an anesthesiologist’s service is typically considered bundled with the primary anesthesia service and may not be billed separately.
Modifiers: The following modifiers are commonly associated with these services:
| AA: | Anesthesia services performed personally by anesthesiologist or when an anesthetist assists a physician in the care of a single patient. |
| QY: | Medical direction of one Qualified Nonphysician |
| QK: | Medical direction of two, three or four concurrent anesthesia procedures involving qualified individuals. |
| AD: | Medical supervision by a physician: more than four concurrent anesthesia procedures. |
| QS: | Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) service (can be submitted by a Qualified Nonphysician Anesthetist or a physician) |
| This modifier can be submitted by a Qualified Nonphysician Anesthetist or a physician | |
| QX: | Qualified Nonphysician Anesthetist service: with medical direction by a physician. |
| QZ: | Qualified Nonphysician Anesthetist service: without medical direction by a physician. |
For more information on Anesthesia Fee Calculation Click Here
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