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ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert

Reader Question:

Date of Service

Published on Thu Nov 01, 2001

Question: Like many other 24-hour clinics, our emergency department often encounters cases where patients are registered one day and seen by a physician the next. For instance, someone comes in at 11:30 p.m. Sunday, and waits until 1:30 a.m. Monday to receive treatment. What is the correct date to use for the date of service? Should it be the date the patient was registered, or the date the physician started the patient's examination or treatment?

Pennsylvania Subscriber  
Answer: The standard practice for any outpatient service is to use the date of registration as the date of service. In your scenario, use Sunday on the claim form, provided the patient was registered before midnight. For inpatients, the date of discharge is generally the date of service.
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