Question:
When calculating the time for hourly increments of infusion, what specific periods should be excluded from the time interval, and why are pre- and post-infusion services not separately billable?
Answer:
In calculating hourly increments of infusion, do not include the time that may elapse between establishing vascular access and initiating the infusion. It is not appropriate to capture preparation time and post-infusion monitoring of the patient as part of the time interval for the infusion. The pre-and post-services related to the infusion have been incorporated into the reimbursement for the primary code.
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