Optometry Coding & Billing Alert

Reader Questions:

E/M Applies for Patient-Generated Second Opinion

Question: A patient recently visited our clinic and asked for a second opinion. CPT has deleted the confirmatory consult codes for billing second opinions, so how should we report our optometry services?

Illinois Subscriber

Answer: For a patient-generated second opinion, you should treat the procedure like any other E/M service. You should report it using the appropriate E/M code (99201-99205 for new patients, or 99212-99215 for established patients).

Caveat: In cases when the second opinion is expert- generated, you can count it as a true consultation, if you have specialist documentation supporting your claim.

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