As previously communicated, for claims
processed on or after July 1, 2011, anesthesia time units reported in minutes
are divided by fifteen minutes and rounded to one decimal place (e.g., 16
minutes = 1.1 units), replacing the previous process of rounding to the next
whole number (e.g., 16 minutes = 2 units).
This change is reflected in Claim
Payment Policy #00.01.14i: Reporting and Documentation Requirements for
Anesthesia Services. This policy has been available for review by providers and
their office staff since it was posted on our website as a notification on
April 1, 2011, and became effective on July 1, 2011. The claim payment policy
for reporting and documentation requirements for anesthesia services is
available at www.ibx.com/medpolicy.