Wiki ?new patient or not

[cooper1]

I have a physician who read a doppler on a pt that he has never seen which happens all the time, now the patient comes in the office to see this physician do I code this as a new patient or an est patient since he billed for a service even though he never saw the patient?

thanks
tracey

 

[LLovett]

New patient.

Per CPT to be established the patient must receive any professional service from the physician or another physician in that group of the same specialty in the past 3 years.

They define professional service as face-to-face services rendered by a physician.

Laura, CPC

 

[cooper1]

thanks