tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2005 Issue 1

You Be the Coder: Reporting Observation in the ED

Question: I have several questions about observation services in the ED. Is it true that the observation time begins when the doctor admits the patient to observation? If the patient arrives in the ED on one calendar date and the doctor admits him to observation after midnight, how should we report this? In that case, must the chart include both an ED dictation and an H&P with admit orders for the obs stay - or does the initial dictation justify both charges?   Connecticut SubscriberAnswer: According to the CPT manual, observation services describe a calendar date...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert.


You have ED coding questions, and we deliver money-in-the-bank answers to help you defeat your claim issues and secure optimal reimbursement.

Stay in the know and avoid federal reproach with your subscription to TCI’s ED Coding and Reimbursement Alert.

  • Current newsletters added each month
  • Fully searchable archives - over 2100 articles
  • ALL years/issues back to 1998 organized by year and issue
  • Codes mentioned in articles are linked to Code Information pages
  • Code Information pages link back to related articles
Access to this feature is available in the following products:
  • tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert +Archives

demo
request yours today
 subscribe
start today
 newsletter
free subscription

Thank you for choosing Find-A-Code, please Sign In to remove ads.