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Pediatric Coding Alert

You Be the Coder:

Behavior and Health Assessment

Published on Wed May 01, 2002

Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
Question: Should pediatricians use the new behavior and health assessment codes?

Illinois Subscriber

Answer: Pediatricians or any other physicians should not use these codes. The purpose of CPT 96150 -96151 (Health and behavior assessment [e.g., health-focused clinical interview, behavioral observations, psychophysiological monitoring, health-oriented questionnaires]), each 15 minutes face-to-face with the patient) and 96152-96155 (Health and behavior intervention, each 15 minutes, face-to-face) is to allow social workers, psychologists and other nonphysician counselors to report services provided to patients who also suffer from a medical illness. The codes are not for treating mental-health problems such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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