New coding guidance: Anesthesia changes in 2018 will go beyond new GI endoscopy codes

Why This Topic Matters

Coding teams need to know which anesthesia-related and procedure-related codes changed for 2018 so they can update charge systems, reference tools, and documentation workflows. The article also highlights why procedure intent and specialty-specific crosswalk guidance matter for accurate reporting.

Article Sections

1. GI endoscopy anesthesia code changes

   Discusses updated anesthesia reporting for gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures and the broader documentation context around these changes.

2. Deleted anesthesia service codes

   Summarizes anesthesia service codes that are being removed because of low utilization.

3. Watch for ASA crosswalk updates

   Introduces the annual anesthesia crosswalk process and its relevance to new CPT procedure codes.

4. Integumentary system services

   Covers selected skin and flap-related procedure code changes referenced in the crosswalk update discussion.

5. Respiratory system services

   Summarizes new respiratory-related procedure codes included in the 2018 update discussion.

6. Cardiovascular system services

   Reviews cardiovascular procedure code updates and related anesthesia crosswalk references.

7. Endovascular repair of aortic aneurysm services

   Describes changes in endovascular repair code families and the scope of bundled services referenced by the article.

8. Nervous system services

   Notes a nervous system CPT code addition mentioned in the 2018 update overview.