HAR §12-15-52. Anesthesia services

(a) A base unit is listed for all procedures in the medical fee schedule in accordance with section 12-15-90. This includes the base unit of all anesthesia services except the value of the actual time spent administering the anesthesia or in unusual detention with the patient. 29 3 G 1 9 _:, (b) As allowed under Medicare, the anesthesia charges are equal to the sum of the base and time units for the service multiplied by a geographically adjusted anesthesia-specific conversion factor. (c) The total value for anesthesia services includes pre- and post-operative visits, the administration of the anesthetic, and the administration of fluids or blood incident, or both, to the anesthesia or surgery. (d) The time units are computed by dividing the total anesthesia time by fifteen minutes. (e) Calculated values for anesthesia services shall be used when the anesthesia is administered by a licensed physician or certified registered nurse anesthetist and a fee shall be paid only for the individual anesthetic service. (f) If the general or regional anesthetic is administered by the attending surgeon, the value shall be fifty per cent of the calculated value. (g) Necessary drugs and materials provided by the anesthesiologist or certified registered nurse anesthetist may be charged for separately in accordance with section 12-15-55. (h) When unusual detention with the patient is essential for the safety and welfare of the patient, the necessary time will be valued on the same basis as indicated for anesthesia time. (i) No additional fee shall be allowed for local infiltration or digital block anesthesia administered by the operating surgeon. (j) When either a hypothermia or a pump oxygenator, or both, are employed in conjunction with an anesthetic, the anesthetic "basic" value will be equal to that of procedure code 00560. (k) Where anesthesia is administered for dental services; if the above rules are not applicable, a fee equal to that of procedure code 00120 for inhalation anesthesia and equal to that of procedure code 00102 by an intravenous route will be allowed. [Eff 1/1/96, am 2/28/11; comp DEC 27 2025 J (Auth: HRS §§386-21, 386- 72) (Imp: HRS §386-21)