Over-the-Phone Patient Communication Unbillable

Article Overview

This article discusses how non-face-to-face patient communication in a congestive heart failure clinic is treated for billing purposes, and why phone-based assessment and education may not qualify the same way as in-person services. It also outlines the broader context for E/M reporting, provider billing arrangements, and how hospital-based services may be bundled. The piece is useful for cardiology practices, hospital outpatient departments, and billing/coding professionals who need to understand the general scope of reimbursable patient education and evaluation services.