Question

Report the appropriate anesthesia code for an obstetric patient who had an epidural catheter placed for a vaginal delivery. The catheter was dislodged and was replaced before the patient delivered a healthy baby girl.

A.62320
B.01967
C.01967 x 2
D.01961

Answer 1

The appropriate anesthesia code for epidural anesthesia provided during vaginal delivery, including instances of catheter replacement, is 01967.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct anesthesia code for an obstetric patient who had an epidural catheter placed for a vaginal delivery and then had to have the catheter replaced due to dislodgement before delivery is 01967. Code 01967 specifically describes the provision of anesthesia for a planned vaginal delivery.

This code is designated for the initial service of placing the epidural. If the catheter becomes dislodged and needs replacement, the reinsertion is considered part of the initial anesthesia service and does not warrant an additional billing code, as the Code 01967 is a comprehensive code that covers the entire service related to the anesthesia for a vaginal delivery. Since the epidural catheter was replaced, the code should be reported twice, hence the x 2 in the code.