A. Yes. In the past -pre HIPAA days- many payers-and some still do as they do not comply with HIPAA requirements- required different CPT codes from different sections of CPT for anesthesia claim preparation. Following the implementation of the requirement of HIPAA on October 16, 2003, all anesthesia services are to be billed using only the Anesthesia Codes within CPT-4. If you use a code from the surgical section of CPT4 the payer may become confused and actually believe that you are billing for surgical services and not anesthesia services. Understanding what the payers in your particular practice require for claim submission is essential. Furthermore, anesthesia practice management is further complicated by the varying nature of the professional fees due to the factor of time in the calculation. Unlike other medical services provided by other medical professionals, anesthesia professional fees vary because the length of time the anesthesia is administered is a component within the charge structure itself. Therefore understanding a payer’s requirement for the reporting of anesthesia time is essential for proper claim submission as well.