OIG Adds Consults to Injury

Article Overview

This article discusses increased federal attention on physician consultation billing and the documentation issues that can make a service look like a consultation versus another type of evaluation and management encounter. It is aimed at physicians, office staff, coders, and compliance professionals who need to understand the general documentation themes and audit risk surrounding consult claims. The article focuses on broad guidance about documentation, communication between physicians, and why consult billing attracted scrutiny from OIG and CMS.