Anesthesia Coding: For Postop Femoral Catheter Use 64448

By Author: erinarticle
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For follow-ups, check into daily management codes


During a procedure, our provider used monitored anesthesia care (MAC) for the primary mode of anesthesia. He also inserted a femoral nerve continuous catheter and documented that the catheter was for postoperative pain relief.


The question that arises here is can we bill separately for the continuous catheter?


Well, you can report the continuous catheter under one stipulation. Your provider must sufficiently document that the continuous catheter would be used for postoperative management and was not used for the mode of anesthesia during the procedure.


Code the catheter placement with 64448 (Injection, anesthetic agent; femoral nerve, continuous infusion by catheter [inclusive of catheter placement]). The time spent on placement of the block is not reported with anesthesia time, even though you don't need to deduct time if the post surgical block occurs after induction and prior to emergence. Add modifier 59 (Distinct procedural service) to stress on the catheter's separate ...
... use.


Follow up: If you were able to code for the catheter placement, you can also report additional days if your physician provides follow up care during the postoperative period. Don't code 01996 as this code represents daily hospital management of an epidural or subarachnoid catheter. You may also report subsequent hospital care codes (99231-99233), depending on the documentation provided, for each day of necessary follow up care.


For more on this and for other specialty-specific articles and solutions to assist your anesthesia coding, sign up for a good medical coding resource like Coding Institute.