Conscious sedation, also referred to as ​“IV” or ​“procedural” sedation, involves administering pharmacological agents to produce a medically controlled state of depressed consciousness that still allows a patient to respond to physical stimulation and verbal commands, while maintaining an unassisted airway. 

It’s used to alleviate anxiety and pain associated with potentially unpleasant procedures. Depending on the drug used, the practitioner can achieve a range of levels of sedation. 

Anesthetists* and other qualified physicians may provide this service; however, the type of drugs the practitioner may administer for conscious sedation depends on their training and credentials.

Billing Notes

• It is Manitoba Health’s position that conscious sedation is an integral component of the primary procedure. Accordingly, where the same physician renders both conscious sedation and the procedure, no additional fee is payable for administering the medication or the monitoring of the patient. However, where the physician performs the venipuncture for the IV, Tariff 8957 Intravenous injection, is payable in addition.

• Suppose the physician completing the procedure requires an anesthetist to provided the conscious sedation service. In that case, the anesthetist may claim for anesthetic services rendered following the anesthetic procedural schedule. The physician completing the procedure claims the appropriate procedure tariff.

• Suppose, in an emergent situation, a physician, who is not eligible to claim as an anesthetist, is requested by the physician performing the procedure to provide conscious sedation, he or she may claim on a By Report basis. In this case, Doctors Manitoba recommends a fee roughly equivalent to the anesthetic fee be submitted. This fee is calculated at 20 times the current anesthetic unit values ($2.120) for every 15 minutes or portion thereof.

* ​“Anesthetist” means a medical practitioner who is enrolled on the Specialist Register of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba and whose registration is so defined or a medical practitioner with privileges to administer anesthesia as determined by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba (commonly referred to as either a non-specialist anesthetist or general practitioner anesthetist).