Reader Question:
Report Intubation Alone
Published on Tue Apr 01, 2003
Question: Our ED physician was called to the intensive care unit (ICU) to intubate a patient. Using a #3 curved blade, she visualized the larynx and saw a large mucus plug overlying the vocal cords. She removed the mucus plug and then intubated the patient without difficulty. Which E/M code should I use for this service? Should I report the E/M with 31500, or should I report 31500 alone? New Jersey Subscriber Answer: Most EDs report 31500 (Intubation, endotracheal, emergency procedure) by itself in this situation. There is no requirement to bill an E/M. If you reported a consult code (for example, 99251, Initial inpatient consultation), the physician must meet all the requirements for a consult. These include a request from the patient's physician, a history and physical exam, and a report back to the initiating physician. Most ED physicians do not have time to get back to the initiating physician or perform a full evaluation of the patient, so they rarely meet the service requirements for a consultation.
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