Practice Management Alert

Question: What are the rules regarding exactly when I can bill 99211 for a nurse visit? Washington Subscriber Answer: You may report 99211 (Office or other outpatient visit for the evaluation and management of an established patient, that may not require the presence of a physician. Usually, the presenting problem[s] are minimal. Typically, 5 minutes are spent performing or supervising these services) when the nurse provides an E/M service that exceeds a simple task. Example: A patient picks up a medication refill and tells the receptionist that the medication causes some unpleasant side effects. The nurse documents the problem and checks with the physician who is in the office during the patient encounter regarding changing the patient's dose. Because the service involves the nurse and a problem, you can most likely report 99211. In contrast, a patient presents for a blood draw. If the nurse only draws blood, report 36415 [...]