tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2003 Issue 6

Keep an Eye on Observation Coding to Avoid Blurry E/M Reporting

Many general surgery coders have no trouble following CPT rules for hospital observation services, but they need to be familiar with the intricacies of both the CPT rules and Medicares observation policy to get optimum benefits from observation care. Since the inception of Medicares observation coding policy, which conflicts with CPT guidelines, there has been some confusion regarding the appropriate way to bill for observation care. Reserve Observation Codes for Special Cases Typically, general surgeons use observation care codes for emergency department (ED) cases, particularly for situations involving trauma. Physicians often admit patients who have had traumatic accidents to...

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