Cheezum51
True Blue
I've had someone ask me a question about who gets credit for the decision for surgery, in respect to Moderate Risk for MDM.
Here's the scenario: I'm an optometrist and see a patient for an eye exam with complaints of significant vision problems which, after examination, are due to cataracts. I discuss the pros and cons of cataract surgery with the patient and feel they are a good candidate for surgery and then refer the patient to a cataract surgeon.
Since I'm not actually doing the surgery but evaluating the patient risk factors for surgery from my examination, do I get credit for the "decision regarding major surgery without identified patient/procedure risk factors", which allows me to have a Moderate Risk level for coding? Or, is the surgeon the only provider who can get credit for that?
I would imagine a similar situation for an FP would be a patient with chronic tonsillitis and the FP refers them to a surgeon for a tonsillectomy.
If anyone has any documentation on this type of scenario, that would be very helpful.
Tom Cheezum, OD, CPC, COPC
Here's the scenario: I'm an optometrist and see a patient for an eye exam with complaints of significant vision problems which, after examination, are due to cataracts. I discuss the pros and cons of cataract surgery with the patient and feel they are a good candidate for surgery and then refer the patient to a cataract surgeon.
Since I'm not actually doing the surgery but evaluating the patient risk factors for surgery from my examination, do I get credit for the "decision regarding major surgery without identified patient/procedure risk factors", which allows me to have a Moderate Risk level for coding? Or, is the surgeon the only provider who can get credit for that?
I would imagine a similar situation for an FP would be a patient with chronic tonsillitis and the FP refers them to a surgeon for a tonsillectomy.
If anyone has any documentation on this type of scenario, that would be very helpful.
Tom Cheezum, OD, CPC, COPC