Wiki Physician coding

[mray2011]

2 questions:

1. Patient is seen in office and physician decides to admit to hospital, sends orders with patient, I am to bill and office visit and NOT an initial hosptal correct?

2. Same patient had an EGD on day 2 of hospital was kept for a few hours then discharged to home, can I bill a 99238 or is this included in 43239?

 

[ardithch]

The code choice depends on the status of the patient in the hospital, so you will want to confirm the patient was admitted to inpatient status. The office visit would be billed, the admission the same day would not be, the EGD would be billed, and then the discharge services 99238/99239 can be billed because there is no global period to the EGD, and as long as no other physician provided discharge services. I'd also code all applicable diagnoses to support the discharge services.

Hope this helps!

Ardith, CGCS

 

[mhstrauss]

See Q&A here, #1, last sentence. You would only bill the Initial Inpatient code in this situation.

http://www.wpsmedicare.com/j5macpartb/resources/provider_types/2009_0706_emfacility.shtml