tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 1999 Issue 4

Maximize Use of Observation Codes to Get Paid for Continuous ED Care

Patients often present to the ED with signs and symptoms that indicate a possibly serious illness—but which could also indicate a minor complaint. Chest pain is a good example. Is the patient suffering from a cardiac problem that may lead to a myocardial infarction (MI)? Or, is it simply gastrointestinal distress? Often, the only way to tell is to keep the patient in the department for several hours in order to observe how the illness or disease process develops. Known as observation care, this is sometimes delivered in a designated hospital unit—chest pain centers and observation units...

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