tci General Surgery Coding Alert - 2003 Issue 6

READER QUESTION: Include Consult in ED Observation

Question: If the emergency department (ED) physician requests a consultation from a surgeon for a patient who is in observation status for acute abdominal pain, would it be correct to bill an outpatient consultation code (99241-99245) on the same day? If yes, should I use any modifiers? Missouri SubscriberAnswer: If the ED physician admits the patient to observation status as a result of a consultation with a surgeon, the surgeon could bill for the consultation. Even though the patient is in the observation unit of the hospital, the patient is still considered an outpatient. So the outpatient consultation codes...

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