dballard2004
True Blue
I have a dilema that I hope someone can provide some insight on, please....
A patient presented to one of our clinics with a dog bite. The provider (NP) notes in the documentation that the wound was healing well, and then administered a tetanus vaccine to this patient. The provider did not code the open wound, she just coded the V code for the vaccine using the rationele that she did not treat the wound, she only administered the vaccine.
My questions are:
1. What actally consitutes "treatment" of a wound per Medicare in order to administer a tetanus vaccine? Is administering the vaccine only considered "treatment?"
2. Is there any criteria as to what actually constitues an evaluation of a wound? I realize that inspection of the skin is an element in E/M, but is just stating that the patient has a wound and it appears to be healing well enough to justify a tetanus vaccine to Medicare?
I hope my questions make sense and someone can provide insight. Thanks.
A patient presented to one of our clinics with a dog bite. The provider (NP) notes in the documentation that the wound was healing well, and then administered a tetanus vaccine to this patient. The provider did not code the open wound, she just coded the V code for the vaccine using the rationele that she did not treat the wound, she only administered the vaccine.
My questions are:
1. What actally consitutes "treatment" of a wound per Medicare in order to administer a tetanus vaccine? Is administering the vaccine only considered "treatment?"
2. Is there any criteria as to what actually constitues an evaluation of a wound? I realize that inspection of the skin is an element in E/M, but is just stating that the patient has a wound and it appears to be healing well enough to justify a tetanus vaccine to Medicare?
I hope my questions make sense and someone can provide insight. Thanks.