(a) Basis for payment. Beginning January 1, 2010, anesthesia services furnished by a teaching CRNA may be paid under one of the following conditions:

(1) The teaching CRNA, who is not under medical direction of a physician, is present with the student nurse anesthetist for the pre and post anesthesia services included in the anesthesia base units payment and is continuously present during anesthesia time in a single case with a student nurse anesthetist.

(2) The teaching CRNA, who is not under the medical direction of a physician, is involved with two concurrent anesthesia cases with student nurse anesthetists. The teaching CRNA must be present with the student nurse anesthetist for the pre and post anesthesia services included in the anesthesia base unit. For the anesthesia time of the two concurrent cases, the teaching CRNA can only be involved with those two concurrent cases and may not perform services for other patients.

(b) Level of payment. The allowance for the service of the teaching CRNA, furnished under paragraph (a) of this section, is determined in the same way as for a physician who personally performs the anesthesia service alone as specified in §414.46(c) of this subpart.

[74 FR 62006, Nov. 25, 2009]