You Be the Coder:
Student Visits
Published on Sat Apr 01, 2000
Test your coding knowledge. Determine how you would code this situation before looking at the box below for the answer.
Question: Sometimes a school wants us to check a child to make sure a problem, such as chicken pox, is resolved before the child returns to school. How would we code such visits?
Georgia subscriber
Answer: There are two possible solutions. One is to use a regular office visit, using the ICD9 code for the original problem, and the follow-up code (V67.9) if the insurance company will accept a V code as a primary diagnosis. The second option is to use a consultation code (99241-99245). Document in the childs chart that the school requested a consultation. Under new rules, the consultation request itself doesnt have to be in writing. A common example is head lice. If the school doesnt have a nurse to examine children before they are allowed back to school, the school asks a doctor to do it. You need careful documentation of the requirements of a consultation, including a written communication back to the school.
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