Wiki cpt codes 99358 & 99359 prolong codes-are you double dipping

[mccormickb1]

• If a provider reviews extensive records on the SAME DATE OF SERVICE as an associated E/M service, and if we are going to bill 99358, would we still be able to credit the ‘review and summarization of old records’ on the medical decision making portion of the E/M service, or would this be considered ‘double-dipping’. I would ask the same question with the review being on a separate date of service. How do we make sure there is no double dipping

 

[csperoni]

If you are billing separately for the time to review the records, you certainly cannot include that same time in any other code. Regardless, I am not aware of any carrier currently that pays for 99358 or 99359. Years ago, one of my docs insisted on billing it for almost every patient, and even after appeal letters, it was denied 99% of the time. We made a business decision that the 1% of the time it was paid was not worth the billing staff time and effort and no longer bill it.