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Coding Corner Answer: February Coding Challenge

Staff  |  Issue: February 2013  |  February 1, 2013

Take the challenge…

Answer: 99214 (not incident-to)

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Diagnosis: 715.96, 528.02, E943.8

This was an established patient visit with an established diagnosis along with a new diagnosis. The visit should be coded as 99214 and billed under the PA’s national provider identification (NPI) number.

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History: Detailed history

  • History of present illness contained six elements: location, duration, timing, severity, context, and modifying factors
  • Review of symptoms contained two elements: musculoskeletal and gastric
  • Past family, social history: The past medical history was taken

Examination: Detailed examination

  • Five systems were examined: constitutional, cardiovascular, gastric, musculoskeletal, and respiratory

Medical decision making: Moderate

  • One stable problem improving and one new problem without workup: extended
  • No data review or ordered: minimal
  • Prescription drug management: moderate

This visit must be billed under the PA’s NPI number to receive 85% reimbursement of the approved Medicare Part B Physician Fee Schedule. This visit cannot be billed as incident-to because the PA treated an established patient with a new diagnosis. If the patient had not presented with a new problem—queasiness—then the visit would be considered incident-to.

One of two choices can be made when an established patient presents with a new problem—the PA/NP can continue the visit without any physician input and receive the lesser reimbursement (85%) or the physician can restart the visit from the history of present illness and receive the full reimbursement (100%).

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Filed under:Billing/CodingPractice Support Tagged with:BillingCoding

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