Report only one initial patient consult per patient per admission, more Medicare guidance

Why This Topic Matters

Consultation reporting can affect code selection and claim accuracy across multiple settings. Understanding the broad CMS guidance in this article helps coders and billers recognize when consult reporting is discussed and where related inpatient, nursing facility, or office service categories come into play.

Article Sections

1. Consultation reporting in hospital, nursing facility, and office settings

   This section summarizes CMS guidance on consultation reporting across major care settings and frames the article’s discussion of initial and follow-up services.

2. Reporting follow-up consults

   This section addresses how follow-up services are handled after an initial consultation and notes related CPT category changes.

3. Reporting second opinions

   This section explains the article’s discussion of second-opinion requests and how they differ from consultation reporting.