Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Reader Question:

Use Initial Inpatient Consults for Nursing Homes

Question: Which codes should I use when the physician has been called into the nursing home for a consultation?

New York Subscriber Answer: You should choose the appropriate code from the 99251-99255 (initial inpatient consultation) range of codes, depending on the level of service supported by the physician's documentation.

The CPT definition of an initial inpatient consultation states, "The following codes are used to report physician consultation provided to hospital inpatients, residents of nursing facilities or patients in a partial hospital setting" [emphasis added].
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