Critical Care - Can you bill critical care

[mcleveland]

Can you bill critical care 99291 if a patient is post op craniotomy for pineal cyst and the patient is admit to the ICU for monitoring? This is the documentation for billing 99291.

Patients was immediately post-op from craniotomy. All patients who have just had a craniotomy are at high risk for life-threatening neurological deterioration and are therefore critically ill. I documented in both notes that the patients require neuromonitoring in the ICU with q1h exams, and the statement "Due to the high probability of imminent or life threatening deterioration, the patient requires ICU level care".

Is this sufficient to bill 99291?

 

[CodingKing]

You can be in the ICU but not be receiving critical care services. You can also be critically ill without receiving critical care services. I don't think the need for hourly neuromonitoring qualifies as Critical Care.

Heres something from the American College of Emergency Physicians. Particularly Q1 and Q6 are of interest

http://www.acep.org/Physician-Resou...ial-Issues-/-Reimbursement/Critical-Care-FAQ/