Wiki Ed charge code

[audii_girl]

For 99281-99285
what if the ARNP saw the patient in ED and kept the patient because they are not clinically sober yet or is still having suicidal ideations, the next day they saw the patient again and decided that they no longer is suicidal or patient is clinically sober, is it ok to bill another ed charge? or should the patient be under obs stat?

 

[danskangel313]

You would need to provide some additional information. But generally speaking, if the provider admits the patient to obs status, he/she needs to order it and the order would be documented in the pt's record. Additionally, if it was an ARNP that admitting the pt to observation, he/she would need to have admitting privileges. If the patient just stayed in the ED without admission, that would be a continuous ED visit and would not be billed twice, although I don't know if an extended ED encounter for that long would be appropriate. The only way to bill 2 ED visits is if the patient left the facility and then returned to the ED again.