Let Services Dictate How to Code Second Opinions
Published on Fri Mar 01, 2002
If a patient who has recently been diagnosed with cancer presents for a second opinion, how should that visit be coded new patient visit (99201-99205) or confirmatory consultation (99271-99275)?
Confirmatory consults are low-paying office visits, so it is important for oncology practices to choose not only the most appropriate code but the code that will provide the fairest reimbursement. Dont automatically code the visit as a confirmatory consult simply because the patient comes in for a second opinion.
Physicians Seeking Confirmatory Consult
The purpose of a confirmatory consultation is to obtain a specialists guidance and recommendations regarding a previous diagnosis, evaluation, and/or treatment plan given by an attending physician.
The consulting physician should only render an opinion for a confirmatory consult, says Stephanie Thompson, CPC, practice manager for Lexington Oncology Associates, an oncology practice in Kentucky.
In most cases, this requires the review of records and test results from the patients attending physician. According to Medicare regulations, confirmatory consultations may be provided in any setting and consist of: history, exam and medical decision-making. If the consulting physician is aware of the confirmatory nature of the opinion sought 99271-99275 must be used. Choose the appropriate code based on the three key components listed above.
Confirmatory consultation codes are appropriate when an insurer, as part of its internal policy, sends one of its clients for a second opinion. Much like the situation described above, where the attending physician refers the patient to another oncologist for an opinion, the insurance company is also seeking the opinion of a second oncologist. In this case, modifier -32 (Mandated services) is appended to the appropriate confirmatory consultation code to indicate to the payer that the service was required.
If the patients attending physician requests a consult, the procedures are similar to that of an office consultation a written or verbal request must be made to the consulting physician, and a report must be prepared by that doctor and provided to the attending physician, says Lillie McAllister, CPC, president of Double-Diamond Enterprises, a coding and consulting firm in Conroe, Texas.
Like an office consultation (99241-99245), the request must be documented as an order in the attending physicians note or in a signed consult sheet requesting information. The written report from the consulting doctor should be provided to the attending physician for inclusion in the medical record.
Independent Second Opinion Sought
Often, the patient independently seeks a second opinion without referral from the attending physician. Because the patient was not referred, codes other than confirmatory consultation codes may be used.
For example, new office visit codes (99201-99205) may apply. To use them, the second (consulting) oncologist must take over the management or treatment of the patient. This sometimes happens when [...]
