ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Here's why your physician will rarely provide 94002, 94003 solely.If your physician provides initial-day ventilation management services in the course of treating a critically ill or injured patient, be sure you choose a critical care code instead of a ventilation management code or you're leaving about $127 on the table.The reason: Ventilation management, when performed, is bundled into the critical care code (and most other E/M codes); these codes pay out at a higher rate than the ventilation management codes, explains Greer Contreras, CPC, senior director of coding for Marina Medical Billing Service Inc. in California.Also, An E/M code is more often a better representation of your physician's services than 94002 or 94003. Further, ventilation management codes are bundled into most E/M codes, including critical care, remindsThe benefit: When your ED physician provides ventilation management, it is usually for a patient requiring high-level ED E/M service, subsequent hospital care, or [...]