Wiki 99238/39

[MnTwins29]

Hi - if a patient either expires or leaves AMA overnight and come the next morning the attending provider comes in to see the patient is gone, can they use the time spent doing a discharge summary, reviewing final tests, etc toward the time for 99238/39 or does the time have to spent physically with the patient?

 

[Cmama12]

Hi - if a patient either expires or leaves AMA overnight and come the next morning the attending provider comes in to see the patient is gone, can they use the time spent doing a discharge summary, reviewing final tests, etc toward the time for 99238/39 or does the time have to spent physically with the patient?

99238/39 do not require time spent with the patient.

 

[natashalage]

Thank you for your help. I have a follow up question that has been in my head for a long time. May my Hepatology MD bill D/C codes or he should use only subsequent IP EM? The situation is: Transplant specialty MD admitted the pt. My Hepatology MD ( different specialty) saw the pt during his stay and billed for his services. Today pt is being discharged and my Hepatology MD‘s note is all about Dischage. Should I code as 99238/9 or 99231-99233? I am recalling that only One MD can bill for D/C but I heard different opinion. Thank you very much in advance.

 

[csperoni]

The answer to "May a hepatology MD bill D/C codes?" is yes. But only if they were managing the admission. You are correct that only one physician may bill for the discharge, and it should be the physician managing the admission. This is usually the same as the admitting physician, but does sometimes change during an admission.