tci Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement - 2016 Issue 18

Hospital Coding: Know What to Do When Observation Stretches the Limits

Keep careful documentation of longer stays. While most patients will be either discharged or admitted within two days, at times the decision takes longer. When a physician keeps a patient in observation more than two days, look to the subsequent observation codes. According to Medicare, the decision whether to discharge a patient from the hospital or admit the patient as an inpatient can be made in less than 48 hours, usually in less than 24 hours, says Todd Thomas, CPC, CCS-P, president of ERcoder, Inc. in Edmond, Ok. Rarely does an observation span more than 48 hours. When, however...

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