Wiki Counseling vs Prolonged Services

[MandyFlagg]

HELP! I am in need of the documentation that states that Counseling and Coordination of care differs from Prolonged Services in that Prolonged services has got to be FACE TO FACE and counseling and coordination of care can be unit time.
I do billing for Nurse Practitioners in the SNF who are billing Part B for Subsequent NF care (99307-99310). On occasion they will spend an exceptional amount of time with a patient and they want to begin billing these services although they believe that time spent on the floor shold be counted. Could anyone please shine some light in my direction?

Thank you,
Mandy Flagg, CPC

 

[mitchellde]

Counseling and coordination is to be face to face time with patient. This year the codes for inpatient prolonged time changed to include floor time spent in addition to face to face time. It is to be floor time spent on behalf of that patient not multiple patients. and total of face to face plus floor time must be a minimum of 30 minutes beyond the visit level.

 

[MandyFlagg]

But, Medicare is still requiring it to be face to face per the article in the AAPC coding edge.

 

[mitchellde]

I have not seen that article, I moved and it has not caught up with me, I have seen nothing from Medicare. Were they referencing 99356 and 99357?

 

[MandyFlagg]

Yes, they were it was in one of the last coding edges and the article was completly on prolonged services. I do not have this with me right now but when I do I can let you know exactly where it is.