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Good News for Teaching Anesthesiologists February 25, 2004 – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has issued a change governing teaching physicians. Effective January 1, 2004 Medicare allows payment for a personally performed service when an anesthesiologist is involved with one or two concurrent residents/cases. This revision opens up the potential for increased reimbursement and, at the same time, requires more specific documentation of the teaching anesthesiologist’s time for each case. The anesthesia record must clearly substantiate the presence of the teaching anesthesiologist, face to face with the patient for all minutes billed, and with the resident pre- and post-op. The time need not be contiguous, however a record of the exact time spent on each case must be provided, either on the anesthesia log or by means of a charge ticket. In addition, the new rule applies only when the anesthesiologist is working with one or two residents concurrently (not CRNAs or SRNAs). More than two cases, or cases involving CRNAs and SRNAs must still be considered medically directed. For more information or clarification of this subject, please do not hesitate to contact South Oakland Physician Services, Inc. |
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