Part B Insider (Multispecialty) Coding Alert

In other news ...

" If youre looking for help on which discharge code you should use for hospice patients who die in the nursing home, you need to keep looking.

One hospice asked carrier Cahaba GBA which discharge code to use for a patient who expires in a skilled nursing facility where they are residing: 40 (Expired at home) or 41 (Expired at medical facility).

CMS and the National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC) dont provide a definition of a patients place of residence in regard to the patient status codes, Cahaba says in its May newsletter for providers.

Therefore, because the patient status codes & are not used to determine reimbursement or coverage, we suggest that you use the code you believe to be the most appropriate, Cahaba advises.