AMA CPT® Assistant - 2007 Issue 7 (July)
Evaluation and Management: Hospital Inpatient Services (July 2007)
July 2007 page 12 Coding Communication: Evaluation and Management: Hospital Inpatient Services Question If a patient is admitted to our service from the emergency department before midnight and the physician does not see the patient until the following morning, what is the appropriate code to report? AMA Comment It is appropriate to report an initial hospital admission code from the 99221 - 99223 series (Initial Hospital Care), when the physician provides a face-to-face inpatient encounter with the patient in the hospital. Because the physician did not provide face-to-face inpatient hospital services on the first date that the hospital will...
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Article Overview
This article explains hospital inpatient evaluation and management reporting in the context of admission timing and inpatient encounters. It is intended for coding professionals and clinicians who need to understand how inpatient admission services are discussed in relation to the hospital admission date, the physician’s first face-to-face encounter, and services performed across different sites. The piece is a brief AMA/CPT Assistant communication that addresses a common inpatient coding scenario and the general framework for reporting initial hospital care.
Why This Topic Matters
Hospital admission timing can affect how inpatient evaluation and management services are documented and reported. Understanding the article helps coders and physicians interpret admission-related encounters consistently and align reporting with the inpatient setting and date of service.
What You Will Learn
- How the article frames hospital inpatient evaluation and management reporting.
- How admission timing relates to the physician’s first inpatient encounter.
- How inpatient admission services are discussed across different care settings.
- What general guidance is provided for reporting initial hospital care in an admission scenario.
Who Should Read This
- Medical coders
- Coding auditors
- Physicians
- Hospital compliance staff
- Revenue cycle professionals
Codes Discussed
Code Ranges Discussed
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