Beyond the Three R's

Why This Topic Matters

Correctly identifying the consultation category affects how physician services are classified and reported, especially when the same patient has more than one encounter across different settings or during the same stay.

Article Sections

1. Experts advise you on choosing a consult category

   Introduces the article’s focus on consultation categories and the documentation themes discussed by coding experts. It frames the guidance around office/outpatient and inpatient settings.

2. Office or other outpatient (99241-99245)

   Covers consultation services furnished in office or other outpatient settings and presents an illustrative scenario involving outpatient evaluation and related testing.

3. Initial inpatient (99251-99255)

   Discusses consultation services for hospital inpatients and related institutional settings, including repeated consultations across separate inpatient stays.

4. Follow-up inpatient (99261-99263)

   Addresses follow-up consultation services during an ongoing inpatient stay and contrasts them with other subsequent care categories in broad terms.