Ob-Gyn Coding Alert

Question: I-m looking for a status code for ob patients who visit labor and delivery (L&D). Our L&D is an extension of our emergency department (ED). Can I charge these services using the ED CPT codes? Also,

for a patient who our OB admits to an observation status, should I use 99219-99220?

Answer: Your coding choices in L&D are documented observation care (and the MD must admit the patient to observation care) or the outpatient visit codes (99201-99215, Office or other outpatient visit ...)

Note: The code you report for observation care depends on the patient's length of stay. If the ob-gyn admits the patient on day one and discharges her the next day, you would report 99218-99220 (Initial

observation care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient -) for day one and 99217 (Observation care discharge day management -) for day two. If the ob-gyn both admits and discharges the

patient on the same day, you would report 99234-99236 (Observation or inpatient hospital care, for the evaluation and management of a patient including admission and discharge on the same date -)

Your L&D does not qualify for using ED codes unless your department takes children, heart patients, and the elderly. A hospital has only one ED that does not discriminate by gender or age.