Neurosurgery Coding Alert

Question: Do we have any options if our physician’s signature is illegible?

Texas Subscriber

Answer: You can send a signature log or attestation statement to support the identity of an illegible signature. A signature log is a typed listing of the provider or providers identifying their name with a corresponding handwritten signature. You must include the credentials associated with the initials or the illegible signature.

You may include the signature log on the same page where the initial or illegible signature is located or in a separate document. Just make sure that the signature log is a part of the patient’s medical record.

You can also submit an attestation statement if your provider’s signature is illegible. For Medicare to consider an attestation statement valid, the author of the medical record entry must sign and date the statement. The statement must also include the appropriate patient information.