tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2019 Issue Q3

You Be the Coder: Know When the Critical Care Clock Starts Running

Question: Thank you for your article last month on critical care coding. One question we have is when we should start the clock running to begin tallying critical care time. Is it as soon as the patient walks in? As soon as the doctor starts treating them? Or when they start realizing the care is “critical?” Supercoder Subscriber Answer: When coding for critical care, you cannot code for time spent in pre-hospital medical direction or coordination of care — activating alerts, setting up rooms/staff, etc. — prior to the patient arriving. All E/M codes assume pre-work and...

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