Otolaryngology Coding Alert

Remember that office visit coding isn’t always cut-and-dry.

Pinpointing the correct E/M code for a patient’s visit can be difficult at times, but might get even more complicated when circumstances lead to multiple visits in a single day. Read the following situation from an Otolaryngology Coding Alert subscriber and decide how you would handle the coding before looking at our expert’s recommendation.

Scenario: Two otolaryngologists in our practice treated Mrs. Johnson at separate times on the same day. In the morning, Physician A prescribed new medication to treat her acute recurrent sinus infection (J01.91) and coded the encounter as 99213. Later that day, she returned with similar complaints, adding that her tinnitus (H93.1~) seemed worse than usual. Physician B saw her at the second visit and documented 99214 for his care. Can I bill both 99213 and 99214 on the same date of service for both of these encounters?

Solution: Once you make your decision, turn to page 28 to see if you agree with our expert.