Answers To Your Hospital Admission, Subsequent Care Coding Questions
Posted on 08. Jun, 2009 by Editor in Hot Coding Topics
Revenue Booster: Here’s when you can claim a consult rather than an admit/subsequent care code.
Did you know if your neurosurgeon manages the patient’s head injury while another physician takes care of everything else, then you should hold off on reporting an admission service? Insurers are eager to audit hospital admission codes (99221-99223), as well as subsequent care codes (99231-99233). So you should learn all you need to know to correctly code co-management situations.
These 4 hospital admission coding FAQs help you stay out of auditors’ crosshairs.
1. What Does Hospital Admission Entail?
You may report a hospital admission (99221-99223) for a neurosurgeon (or any other specialist) as long as the neurosurgeon assumes full responsibility for the patient’s care, says Dianne Wilkinson, RHIT, compliance officer and quality manager with MedSouth Healthcare in Dyersburg, Tenn.
Example: From the emergency department the neurosurgeon admits a patient with head injuries. The patient may require the care of several specialists, such as a general surgeon, orthopedist, neurologist, and others, to deal with his injuries. As the admitting physician, the neurosurgeon would be responsible for the overall and ongoing care of the patient.
Only one physician can charge an admission. If two or more physicians co-manage a patient, you can claim an admission for only one physician. “You would never have multiple admitting physicians,” Wilkinson says.
In some cases, this means the attending physicians will have to decide who assumes overall care of the patient and therefore receives credit for the admission. Most trauma centers have protocols that outline which specialist will admit patients with multiple injuries (for instance, a trauma surgeon).
Warning: Several insurers have warned that specialists...
If you've already signed in and are still seeing this screen, click here to refresh the page.
- Free updates on CPT, ICD-9, HCPCS, Medicare, NCCI edits, and ICD-10.
- Discounts on 3rd party offers
Loading ...