Wiki New Patient or not?

Messages
123
Location
Centreville, VA
Best answers
0
A new doctor at our practice sees a patient and we bill for a New Patient. The insurance denies the New Patient E&M stating the doctor saw this patient previously. But he was seen almost three years ago when he was part of another practice. So do we bill for a New Patient or an Established Patient visit? The payer is Medicare.
 
Per my local MAC:

"Individual who has not received any professional services, Evaluation and Management (E/M) service or other face-to-face service (e.g., surgical procedure) from the same physician or physician group practice (same physician specialty and subspecialty) within the previous 3 years.

For example, if a professional component of a previous procedure is billed in a 3-year time period, (e.g., lab interpretation) and no E/M service or other face-to-face service with the patient is performed, then this patient remains a new patient for the initial visit. An interpretation of a diagnostic test, reading an x-ray or electrocardiogram (EKG) etc., in the absence of an E/M service or other face-to-face service with the patient does not affect the designation of a new patient.

If a patient was seen by a physician in a clinic and sometime during the 3-year period was seen again by that same physician at the same clinic, at another clinic, or in this physician's private practice, this is still an established patient situation. If this patient sees another physician of the same specialty and subspecialty at a location where the first physician also practices, this is also an established patient situation
"

Hope this helps!
 
Per my local MAC:

"Individual who has not received any professional services, Evaluation and Management (E/M) service or other face-to-face service (e.g., surgical procedure) from the same physician or physician group practice (same physician specialty and subspecialty) within the previous 3 years.

For example, if a professional component of a previous procedure is billed in a 3-year time period, (e.g., lab interpretation) and no E/M service or other face-to-face service with the patient is performed, then this patient remains a new patient for the initial visit. An interpretation of a diagnostic test, reading an x-ray or electrocardiogram (EKG) etc., in the absence of an E/M service or other face-to-face service with the patient does not affect the designation of a new patient.

If a patient was seen by a physician in a clinic and sometime during the 3-year period was seen again by that same physician at the same clinic, at another clinic, or in this physician's private practice, this is still an established patient situation. If this patient sees another physician of the same specialty and subspecialty at a location where the first physician also practices, this is also an established patient situation
"

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much! It was very helpful.
 
Top