Internal Medicine Coding Alert
Reader Question:
Use 99385 for Sports Physicals
Published on Tue Mar 16, 2004 
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Question: Recently our internist performed a sports physical for an established patient's son. Should we use codes 97005-97006 for this service?
Answer: You cannot report codes 97005 (Athletic training evaluation) and 97006 (Athletic training re-evaluation) for sports physicals because these codes represent problem-oriented services, such as the physician's evaluation and educational training of an athletics injury.
South Carolina Subscriber
To report a sports physical, you should use the age-appropriate preventive medicine code. For example, you could report 99385 (Initial comprehensive preventive medicine ...; 18-39 years).
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