Surgeon wants to bill new patient consults and new patient office visits without doing exams.
Scenario: Patient goes to primary physician for pain in lower abdomen. Primary phys orders bloodwork and x-rays. X-rays shows suspicious looking area in region of colon. Primary phys sends patient for Colonoscopy. Colonscopy biopsy reveals cancer of colon. Primary phys sends patient to surgeon with all of the x-rays and reports. The surgeon enters the exam room, introduces himself to patient, reviews x-rays, reports and paperwork filled out by patient upon his arrival to office (ie: usual new patient paperwork that includes patient checking off his medical and surgical history, family/social history, signs/symptoms, etc.). The the surgeon states he agrees that surgery is needed based on the findings of the tests and schedules the patient for surgery. An exam is NOT performed on the patient.
And NO, time/discussion is not documented so we cannot bill using the time parameters either.
Can a new patient consult or new patient visit be coded/billed for this?
Comments??
Scenario: Patient goes to primary physician for pain in lower abdomen. Primary phys orders bloodwork and x-rays. X-rays shows suspicious looking area in region of colon. Primary phys sends patient for Colonoscopy. Colonscopy biopsy reveals cancer of colon. Primary phys sends patient to surgeon with all of the x-rays and reports. The surgeon enters the exam room, introduces himself to patient, reviews x-rays, reports and paperwork filled out by patient upon his arrival to office (ie: usual new patient paperwork that includes patient checking off his medical and surgical history, family/social history, signs/symptoms, etc.). The the surgeon states he agrees that surgery is needed based on the findings of the tests and schedules the patient for surgery. An exam is NOT performed on the patient.
And NO, time/discussion is not documented so we cannot bill using the time parameters either.
Can a new patient consult or new patient visit be coded/billed for this?
Comments??