General Surgery Coding Alert

Sending this in every case will help eliminate your transfer-of-care issues.

If youre forced to report an office visit code instead of a consultation code because you dont have the documentation to support the consult code, you could cost your practice double-digit amounts on every visit.

Proving whether the requesting physician wants your surgeons opinion, or is transferring the care of the patients problem to your general surgeon, is crucial to your code choice. The requests intent can make the difference between a consult and an office visit. And based on coding 99203 for a level-three office visit instead of 99243 for a level-three consult, the difference could cost you $33 per service. (The 2009 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule assigns 2.55 transitional total relative value units to 99203 and 3.46 to 99243).

Using a standard form, such as this one that Patricia A. Trites, MPA, CHBC, CPC, CEMC, CHCC, CHCO,CHP, CEO of Healthcare Compliance Resources in Sherman, Tex., gives her clients, can help you make the most of your surgeons consultations.

Dear Dr. ______________,

It is our understanding that you have requested Dr. ________________ to perform a consultation on your patient, _______________________, for the following condition, symptoms or problem:

______________________________________.

Would you like us to (Please mark the appropriate box below):

_ Provide an opinion only regarding evaluation and/or management of this patients condition

_ Provide an opinion regarding the evaluation and/or management of this patients condition as well as treat the patient for this condition

We have appointed this patient on (date and time) ____________________________.

Please fax this completed form back to our office at _______________ as soon as possible. In addition, please forward any necessary medical records to our office that you believe are pertinent for the evaluation of this patients condition.