• If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ & read the forum rules. To view all forums, post or create a new thread, you must be an AAPC Member. If you are a member and have already registered for member area and forum access, you can log in by clicking here. If you've forgotten the password it can be reset on our sign in section by entering your registered Email Address or Username here. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below..

Wiki Discharge Services

Create Wiki
J

jvanek82

True Blue
Messages
863
Location
Mims, Florida
Best answers
0
I just started auditing the Hospitalists charges for our hospital and I need some guidance. Since Discharge services are time based, does the documentation that the doc does have to state somewhere the total time spent on the discharge? Wouldn't that be needed to code? None of these docs have documented time in there reports but have chosen the 99239 over the 99238.

Any help would be great!

Jodi Dibble, CPC
 
99239

In order to code 99239 Hospital Discharge Day Management, more than 30 minutes - the documentation MUST include time of 31 minutes or longer.

If no time is listed the most you can code is 99238.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC
 
Tessa,
I have looked specifically for that in writing by my local carrier and CMS. No where is that documented. In the CPT book it does not state that it "must" include time, like it does about critical care coding. Yes it is implied but I need to be able to show this in black and white. Do you have it?
 
link

CPT guideline:

The hospital discharge day management coders are to be used to report total duration of time spent by a physician for the final hospital discharge of pt.

So like any other code that has time we are required to state it in the documentation. The webinar link above will take you to a webinar that has a good example.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top