Pulmonology Coding Alert

Question: My pulmonologist frequently provides care in the nursing home setting -- am I correct in sticking to 99307-99310 to report these encounters? Also, should I be hesitant to report 99310 for a physician who is not the attending of record in the nursing facility? New Jersey Subscriber Answer: Consider whether the visit qualifies as a consultation before reporting one of the subsequent nursing facility care codes (99307-99310). If the visit meets consultation requirements, report an inpatient consultation code (99251-99255) for the first visit, use the subsequent nursing facility care codes for any further medically necessary visits. If the visit does not meet consult requirements, you may report subsequent-day care with 99307-99310 from the first encounter. The key to deciding which level code to report is the extent of the service and documentation and whether the level is supported by medical necessity. Example: The pulmonologist visits a nursing facility patient on [...]