CPC - Certified Professional Coder Anesthesia Coding and Modifiers Questions and Answers

Question 1

A 72-year-old patient with well-controlled hypertension undergoes a cholecystectomy. What is the appropriate physical status modifier to append to the anesthesia code?

Accepted Answer

P2

Answer

The physical status modifier P2 is used for a patient with mild systemic disease. Well-controlled hypertension is considered a mild systemic disease. P1 is for a normal healthy patient, P3 is for a patient with severe systemic disease, and P4 is for a patient with a severe systemic disease that is a constant threat to life.

Question 2

An anesthesiologist begins preparing a patient for anesthesia in the operating room at 08:00. The surgical procedure starts at 08:30 and finishes at 10:00. The anesthesiologist safely transfers the patient to the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) at 10:15. What is the total anesthesia time that should be reported in minutes?

Accepted Answer

135 minutes

Answer

According to CPT guidelines, anesthesia time begins when the anesthesiologist starts preparing the patient for anesthesia and ends when the anesthesiologist is no longer in personal attendance, which occurs when the patient is safely placed under postoperative care. Therefore, the total time is calculated from 08:00 to 10:15, which equals 135 minutes.

Question 3

Which of the following is an add-on code used to report anesthesia complicated by the utilization of total body hypothermia?

Accepted Answer

+99116

Answer

CPT code +99116 is the correct add-on code for anesthesia complicated by the utilization of total body hypothermia. Code +99100 is for extreme age, +99135 is for controlled hypotension, and +99140 is for emergency conditions.

Question 4

Which modifier should be used by an anesthesiologist to report the medical direction of two, three, or four concurrent anesthesia procedures?

Accepted Answer

QK

Answer

Modifier QK is appended to the anesthesiologist's service to indicate they were medically directing two, three, or four concurrent anesthesia procedures. Modifier AA is for personally performed services, QY is for medical direction of one CRNA, and AD is for medical supervision of more than four concurrent procedures.

Question 5

A Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) provides anesthesia services under the medical direction of an anesthesiologist for a single case. Which modifiers should be reported by the CRNA and the anesthesiologist, respectively?

Accepted Answer

QX, QY

Answer

When a CRNA provides service with medical direction from a physician, the CRNA reports modifier QX. When an anesthesiologist medically directs a single CRNA, the anesthesiologist reports modifier QY. Therefore, the correct combination is QX for the CRNA and QY for the anesthesiologist.

(CPC) Certified Professional Coder Practice Test

(CPC) Certified Professional Coder Practice Test

CPC - Certified Professional Coder Anesthesia Coding and Modifiers Questions and Answers