tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2006 Issue 12

READER QUESTION ~Keep an Eye on Critical Care Bundles

Question: A patient suffering from acute respiratory failure presented to the ED. The physician performed 54 minutes of critical care. The notes indicate that the physician also provided endotracheal intubation and pulse oximetry during the encounter. Can I report the intubation and oximetry separately from the critical care?California Subscriber Answer: When reporting critical care, certain services are bundled into the service. In your scenario, the intubation is separately reportable, but the pulse oximetry is not billable because it is bundled into both of the critical care codes.On your claim, you should:- report 99291 (Critical care, evaluation and...

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