Anesthesia payer policy is complicated and constantly evolving, Tony Mira, Anesthesia Business Consultants' president and CEO, wrote in a recent blog post.
The typical practice provides three services: time-based surgical anesthesia, obstetric anesthesia and non-time-based services, all paid from a surgical fee schedule. This means billing software and staff must accommodate each arrangement, Mr. Mira writes. Payer requirements for each service are complex, and the industry has come to rely on software options.
Additionally, obstetric anesthesia is billed differently than surgical cases, with the code and base value determined by the outcome of care, using yield per case rather than yield per unit, Mr. Mira said.
Non-time-based services have also grown in popularity. These charges are paid from a fee schedule and there are specific documentation and coding guidelines that have to be met.
Read Mr. Mira's tips for anesthesia billing here.