Wiki Admit discharge same day

[mclaren]

Hey need some help with this scenario

Child admitted thru ER over the phone by Dr 4/9/11. Dr sees patient 4/10/11 dictates H&P sees patient and examines and later in the evening discharges patient 4/10/11.

Formal admit day listed by hospital as 4/9. Dr wants to bill 99234 (Admit discharge same day).

I am getting conflicting opinions, what do you fellow coders think?

Thanks in advance,

Jill O, CPC

 

[marhiam]

Was there an order to place into observation? Also, was the patient there for more than 8 hours? If so you bill the 234. If there is an obs order, but less than 8 hrs from admit to d/c, only do the obs admit. If the patient was there into the next day, you bill the obs admit and obs d/c the next day. If no obs order, have to charge an outpatient visit.

 

[Pam Warren]

There was no face-to-face on the 9th. I'd bill the admit/discharge same day code, if patient was admitted >8 hours. If not, just the Initial inpatient/obs code (depending on patient's admission status).