CPC Anesthesia Coding 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An anesthesiologist who personally performs anesthesia services appends which modifier?
- AA (Correct answer)
- QK
- QX
- AD
Correct answer: AA
Modifier AA indicates anesthesia services personally performed by an anesthesiologist, distinguishing it from medically directed or supervised cases.
Question 2: Modifier QK is used when an anesthesiologist:
- Medically directs 2–4 concurrent CRNA cases (Correct answer)
- Personally performs the anesthesia procedure from start to finish
- Supervises a single CRNA case at a 1:1 ratio
- Performs anesthesia for a declared emergency condition
Correct answer: Medically directs 2–4 concurrent CRNA cases
QK indicates medical direction of 2–4 concurrent qualified non-physician anesthesia services, typically yielding 50% of the allowed amount per directed case.
Question 3: An anesthesiologist who medically supervises more than 4 concurrent anesthesia procedures reports modifier:
- AD (Correct answer)
- QK
- QY
- AA
Correct answer: AD
Modifier AD is used when an anesthesiologist medically supervises more than 4 concurrent anesthesia procedures, which typically limits reimbursement to 3 base units per case.
Question 4: When calculating anesthesia time units for a 45-minute procedure (1 unit per 15 minutes), how many time units are reported?
- 3 units (Correct answer)
- 2 units
- 4 units
- 5 units
Correct answer: 3 units
At one unit per 15 minutes, 45 minutes equals exactly 3 time units (45 ÷ 15 = 3).
Question 5: Anesthesia code selection is primarily based on:
- The surgical procedure being performed (Correct answer)
- The type of anesthesia administered (general vs. regional)
- The patient's physical status classification
- The total duration of the anesthesia procedure
Correct answer: The surgical procedure being performed
Anesthesia codes are selected based on the surgical procedure performed and its anatomical site, regardless of which type of anesthesia is used.
Question 6: Qualifying circumstance code 99140 applies to anesthesia complicated by:
- Emergency conditions (Correct answer)
- Extreme patient age (under 1 or over 70 years)
- Controlled hypotension techniques
- Deliberate hypothermia induction
Correct answer: Emergency conditions
Code 99140 is reported for anesthesia complicated by emergency conditions, adding one qualifying unit to the total anesthesia formula.
Question 7: A CRNA working under the medical direction of an anesthesiologist appends which modifier?
- QX (Correct answer)
- QK
- AA
- GC
Correct answer: QX
QX is appended by the CRNA when working under an anesthesiologist's medical direction, paired with the anesthesiologist's QK modifier on their separate claim.
CPC Anesthesia Coding 2
An anesthesiologist who personally performs anesthesia services appends which modifier?