42 CFR 415.110 – Conditions for payment: Medically directed anesthesia services
(a) General payment rule. Medicare pays for the physician’s medical direction of anesthesia services for one service or two through four concurrent anesthesia services furnished after December 31, 1998, only if each of the services meets the condition in § 415.102(a) and the following additional conditions:
(1) For each patient, the physician—
(i) Performs a pre-anesthetic examination and evaluation;
(ii) Prescribes the anesthesia plan;
(iii) Personally participates in the most demanding aspects of the anesthesia plan including, if applicable, induction and emergence;
(iv) Ensures that any procedures in the anesthesia plan that he or she does not perform are performed by a qualified individual as defined in operating instructions;
(v) Monitors the course of anesthesia administration at frequent intervals;
(vi) Remains physically present and available for immediate diagnosis and treatment of emergencies; and
(vii) Provides indicated post-anesthesia care.
(2) The physician directs no more than four anesthesia services concurrently and does not perform any other services while he or she is directing the single or concurrent services so that one or more of the conditions in paragraph (a)(1) of this section are not violated.
(3) If the physician personally performs the anesthesia service, the payment rules in § 414.46(c) of this chapter apply (Physician personally performs the anesthesia procedure).
(b) Medical documentation. The physician alone inclusively documents in the patient’s medical record that the conditions set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this section have been satisfied, specifically documenting that he or she performed the pre-anesthetic exam and evaluation, provided the indicated post-anesthesia care, and was present during the most demanding procedures, including induction and emergence where applicable.