Wiki New patient or established after COVID19

[Kristen Bensel]

With the directive that any patient, new or established, coming into the clinic to be swabbed for COVID19 should be billed with a 99211 when the test is done in clinic, how does that affect the coding/billing of any subsequent visit in the clinic.
Is the patient considered established now or is it still appropriate to consider them a new patient when having their first actual visit with a provider.

 

[Chelle-Lynn]

If this is the only time that the patient was seen in your office, then this would have been for minimal services and did not meet the qualification for a complete E&M. So if the patient presents at a later date for a standard E&M and not just a swab, a new visit can still be billed.

 

[Kristen Bensel]

If this is the only time that the patient was seen in your office, then this would have been for minimal services and did not meet the qualification for a complete E&M. So if the patient presents at a later date for a standard E&M and not just a swab, a new visit can still be billed.

Thank you Chelle-Lynn!

 

[SharonCollachi]

Be prepared to appeal those denials.