Wiki subsequent visit or discharge?

[tonplair@gmail.com]

Can someone explained to me how this work? When a DR. see a patient in the hospital on whatever day and the patient expire that day or maybe the Dr. has not seen the patient yet but is the attending Dr. Should it be coded as a subseqent visit or as a discharge? The Dr thinks it should be subsequent because when discharging you are giving instructions and because the patient expire you are not apparently giving instructions. Can someone tell me which is correct?

 

[RebeccaWoodward*]

Can someone explained to me how this work? When a DR. see a patient in the hospital on whatever day and the patient expire that day or maybe the Dr. has not seen the patient yet but is the attending Dr. Should it be coded as a subseqent visit or as a discharge? The Dr thinks it should be subsequent because when discharging you are giving instructions and because the patient expire you are not apparently giving instructions. Can someone tell me which is correct?

If I understand your question...you want to know if the provider can charge for the discharge if the patient expires. In short...yes

E.

Hospital Discharge Management and Death Pronouncement

Only the physician who personally performs the pronouncement of death shall bill for the face-to-face Hospital Discharge Day Management Service, CPT code 99238 or 99239. The date of the pronouncement shall reflect the calendar date of service on the day it was performed even if the paperwork is delayed to a subsequent date.

https://www.cms.gov/manuals/downloads/clm104c12.pdf

Page 60

 

[hnroberts]

I agree with Rebecca that you can bill for the discharge on date of death if your physician is the rendering doc. The CPT manual states " Hospital Discharge Services: ...The codes include, as apropriate, final examination of the patient..."
It only makes sense then that if your doc is the one pronouncing the death, that would be part of the final examination. Good luck!!!