Wiki Initial vs Subsequent - you have a patient that went

[maciccone1206@yahoo.com]

If you have a patient that went to ED for laceration of eye and it was repaired with dissolvable stitches, then came to PCP for follow-up and eye was healed. Would I bill Initial or Subsequent visit? I was under the assumption it should be an Initial visit because first time seen by my doctor (pediatrician). When you look in guidelines it states an Initial visit is for active treatment: surgical treatment, emergency department encounter, and evaluation and treatment by a new physician.
When I was in training, the instructor specifically told us that if a patient goes to ED and gets stitches and then comes to PCP it is considered an Initial Visit. Does it make a difference because injury was healed?

 

[mitchellde]

If you have a patient that went to ED for laceration of eye and it was repaired with dissolvable stitches, then came to PCP for follow-up and eye was healed. Would I bill Initial or Subsequent visit? I was under the assumption it should be an Initial visit because first time seen by my doctor (pediatrician). When you look in guidelines it states an Initial visit is for active treatment: surgical treatment, emergency department encounter, and evaluation and treatment by a new physician.
When I was in training, the instructor specifically told us that if a patient goes to ED and gets stitches and then comes to PCP it is considered an Initial Visit. Does it make a difference because injury was healed?

The 2015 guidelines no longer contain the sentence you reference and contain the clarification that initial is used for the active treatment of the injury and not based on whether your provider is seeing the patient for the first time. Your scenario is subsequent.