tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2001 Issue 3

Reader Question: Conscious Sedation Followup

Question: Can conscious sedation be billed with an evaluation and management (E/M) code? Codes 99141 and 99142 are nonstarred procedures and, according to my information, cannot be billed along with an E/M visit.Ohio SubscriberAnswer: The AMA does not consider conscious sedation as anesthesia, and Medicare does not pay for conscious sedation. Therefore, you would bill the surgery code with the descriptor without anesthesia, then add the conscious sedation code (99141 or 99142). In addition, according to CPT, the surgeon performing the procedure must administer the conscious sedation. This is a controversial area, even for AMA/CPT staff. The January...

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