decisionhealth Newsletters, Coder Pink Sheets - 2006 Issue 8 (August)
Telephone care: Bill the family
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Article Overview
This article explains the billing and practice-management considerations surrounding telephone care in pediatrics. It focuses on when family phone contacts are treated as part of evaluation and management work versus when telephone time may be separately billable, along with related documentation and office-policy issues. It also identifies the CPT telephone call codes discussed in the article and places them within the broader case management context of the E/M chapter. The piece is useful for pediatricians, coders, billers, and practice managers who handle patient communication and charge capture.
Why This Topic Matters
Telephone care can affect both reimbursement and documentation workflows in pediatric practices. Understanding the article helps readers recognize the general billing context for family calls, office policy preparation, and the CPT code framework referenced by the source.
Article Sections
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Telephone care: Bill the family
Introduces the article’s focus on pediatric telephone care and billing considerations for family calls. It frames the topic as a practice and reimbursement issue.
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Billable and non-billable telephone care
Discusses the general distinction between phone contacts that are treated as part of broader evaluation and management work and those presented as separately billable telephone care. It also touches on physician communication with families and other health professionals.
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Being prepared
Covers office preparation topics such as documentation, patient notification, and implementing a telephone-care fee policy. It emphasizes operational readiness in a pediatric practice.
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CPT codes for telephone calls
Introduces the CPT telephone call codes discussed in the article and notes their placement within the E/M case management framework. The section presents the code set references that support telephone-care billing discussions.
What You Will Learn
- How the article frames telephone care billing in pediatric practice
- How the source distinguishes general phone communication issues from separate billing considerations
- What practice-preparation steps are discussed for telephone care workflows
- Which CPT telephone call codes are referenced in the article context
Who Should Read This
- Pediatricians
- Medical coders
- Medical billers
- Practice managers
- AAP-oriented coding staff
Codes Discussed
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