Wiki ER consult

[Cynthia A]

My Docs are hospitialist and they were asked to do a consult on a patient that was sen in the ER. My question is this, what code would you use?

 

[FTessaBartels]

It depends

Okay -- ER doc requests hospitalist to consult on patient in the ER.

OPTION 1: Hospitalist sees patient in ER, provides his opinion/advice to ER doc who continues management/discharge from ER. Code outpatient consultation 9924x

OPTION 2: Hospitalist sees patient in ER, and decides to ADMIT patient to hospital. Code only the Initial Hospital Visit 9922x.

OPTION 3: ER doc is NOT billing anything, because Hospitalist handled all services provided in ER that day.
(A) patient seen in ER and discharged from ER - code ER codes 9928x
(B) patient seen in ER and hospital decides to admit - code only Initial Hospital Visit 9922x

Hope that helps.

F Tessa Bartels, CPC, CEMC