tci ED Coding & Reimbursement Alert - 2002 Issue 1

Reader Question: Pronouncing Death

Question: Our ED physicians are sometimes called to the hospital to pronounce the death of a patient. Is it appropriate to report a low-level subsequent hospital care code such as 99231 or 99232?Florida Subscriber Answer: It is generally very difficult to get paid for this service, and most ED physicians provide it as a courtesy to the attending physician.  If the patient is described as dead at the time of the physician's arrival, the patient is no longer covered by insurance because health benefits end at the time of death. In that event, any billing would be...

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

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