Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: Can I report a consultation if the neurosurgeon co-manages a patient's care?

South Carolina Subscriber Answer: Depending on your level of co-management, you should be able to report a consultation for your physician's services.

For example, if the neurosurgeon performs an initial consultation for a stroke patient and then co-manages her rehabilitation with a physical therapist, you can report a consultation for your first visit.

Thereafter, however, you should report the subsequent office visit codes (99211-99215) when you evaluate the patient in your office.

Remember that you can only report a consultation code (99241-99245 for outpatients, 99251-99255 for inpatients) if the service meets all of the requirements. This means that you must maintain documentation of the request for your opinion, notes from your patient examination, and a copy of the written report that you sent to the requesting physician.  - Clinical and coding expertise for You Be the Coder and Reader Questions provided by Eric Sandham, CHC, CPC, compliance manager for Central California Faculty Medical Group, a group practice and training facility associated with the University of California at San Francisco in Fresno.