Primary Care Coding Alert

Question: How should I code a stay when the patient is admitted one day for H&O and is admitted the next day as an acute patient?


Iowa Subscriber

Answer: You-ll report two codes for this patient: one for the observation day and the other for the actual admission.
 
Submit the appropriate choice from 99234-99236 (Observation or inpatient hospital care, for the evaluation and management of a patient including admission and discharge on the same date ...) for the H&O service. Then choose from 99221-99223 (Initial hospital care, per day, for the evaluation and management of a patient ...) for the acute admission.