Patient observed for hypertensive crisis in the office

[miugu]

Hi

Is there a code for observation for two-three hours in primary care physician office when patient needs to be observed for hypertensive crisis?

Thank you!

 

[thomas7331]

I think it will depend on how much of the time during the observation was documented as provided personally by the physician and how much was provided by the clinical staff. The physician time would be billed with E&M codes 99201-99215 plus 99354-99355 for any time that is above and beyond what is captured in the initial service code. Any clinical staff time beyond what is billed by the physician could be coded using 99415 and 99416, if the minimum time requirements for those codes have been met.

 

[SharonCollachi]

And don't forget that time spent by the patient just hanging out doesn't count. So if you gave them some clonidine, for example, and then your medical assistant kept an eye on them for 15 minutes, then their blood pressure was checked again, those 15-eyeball-minutes are not billed.

 

[miugu]

Thank you.