Outpatient Facility Coding Alert - 2014 Issue 13
READER QUESTION: Avoid 99339 for Phone Call
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Article Overview
This reader question addresses whether a physician’s prolonged phone discussion with a patient’s son can be reported with a home-visit supervision service code. The article explains the general type of supervision work that belongs to that service category, notes that the payer may not accept the reported code for a phone-only interaction, and highlights the reimbursement implications for telephone time. It is relevant for physicians, coders, billers, and revenue cycle staff working with home, domiciliary, and rest home services.
Why This Topic Matters
This topic matters because time spent on phone communication can be easy to misclassify, leading to claim denials or missed payment opportunities. Understanding the scope of the service discussed helps reduce coding errors for supervision and care-management interactions.
What You Will Learn
- How the article frames a physician’s phone discussion with a family member in relation to a home supervision service code.
- What general categories of work are associated with the service discussed.
- Why telephone-only time may create reimbursement issues in this context.
- How the article positions payer and Medicare payment concerns for the scenario.
Who Should Read This
- Physicians
- Medical coders
- Medical billers
- Revenue cycle staff
- Practice managers
Codes Discussed
Subscribe or sign in to view the full article.
Quick, Current, Complete - www.findacode.com