Wiki Critical Care billing

[jmm2kds]

When billing for critical care does the dictated note or progress note need to state that it is critical care or can just the time be documented, these patients are in the ICU, CSU or CCU and it is almost always obvious by the dictation the patient is critical. Just wondering what some opinions are as I have been getting conflicting information on my end.

 

[mdoyle53]

As long as the note identifies the patient as critical care in some way based on the definition, there is no need. If it cannot be determined from the note the patient is a critical care patient, then i would not bill it as critical care

 

[maddismom]

I would never use POS as the criteria for critical care. You can be in ICU, etc. and not be receiving critical care by the PROVIDER.

 

[FTessaBartels]

Critical Care Time

We require that physicians document along these lines: "I spent XX minutes in direct critical care time with PATIENT this date."

They may spend a significant amount of time with a patient that is NOT critical care, so if the provider does not specify it is CC then we do not use the CC codes.

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC