Wiki Inpatient coding

[zinger1075]

Do you bill an initial observation code and an initial inpatient cpt on a subsequent day after observation status and surgical procedure with the physician being both the admitting physician and the surgeon?

 

[wbrodsky]

Absolutely not. You bill a subsequent visit code for the subsequent encounter, even if they go from Obsv. to IP, as long as it's the same doctor or specialist within the group.