billing for medical services over the phone

[samantha Martel]

Patient calls with a quick question for the provider and it turns into a 20 min phone conversation and the provider setting up a referral. The provider then has the patient come in the fallowing week for an annual. Can the provider add an office visit charge to the annual for the previous work done.

Thank You!

 

[mitchellde]

You should bill the phone call as a phone call encounter as long as the time spent by the provider on the phone is documented using a code from the 99441-99443 series. You cannot charge as an addition encounter with the scheduled annual.