TMPPM 2008 > Texas Medicaid Services > Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) > Reimbursement

15.2.2 Time Units

Time Units are based on the time in 15-minute increments indicated on the claim by the provider.

Refer to: "Anesthesia for Labor and Delivery" .

For time-based anesthesiology procedure codes, anesthesia time is the time during which an anesthesia practitioner is present with the client. Anesthesia time begins when the anesthesia practitioner begins to prepare the client for the induction of anesthesia in the operating room or the equivalent area and ends when the anesthesia practitioner is no longer in personal attendance. That is, when the client may be safely placed under postoperative supervision. For time-based anesthesiology procedure codes, anesthesia practitioners must document interruptions in anesthesia time in the client's medical record.

Procedure codes 7-01960 and 7-01967 are reimbursed a flat fee, and not by RVU calculation. The time reported should represent the total minutes between the start and stop times for this procedure, regardless of whether the time was actually spent with the client.

For obstetric procedures and diagnoses, use obstetric anesthesia codes.