tci E/M Coding Alert - 2013 Issue 10

Reader Question: Not All Follow-ups Are Created Equal

Question: We recently finished our first internal audit and found a potential issue: One of the doctors told me that they only chose level 99212 when it is a follow-up from a previous visit. He chooses levels 99213 and above for everything else. I do not believe it is that simple because I thought even if it was not a follow-up visit, something like a minor cold might warrant 99212. Can you advise?Washington Subscriber Answer:  You are correct. Not only can a follow-up problem-oriented visit for an established patient warrant a “low-level” code such as 99211 or...

To read the full article, sign in and subscribe to tci E/M Coding Alert.

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